According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, “About 28.8 million U.S. adults could benefit from using hearing aids.” If you’re one of these numbers and you’ve made the investment, you may be worried about one of the biggest threats to the function of your devices: moisture. If your hearing aids get wet, follow our steps below.
Don’t Panic
The first thing you should do is stop panicking! While moisture can damage hearing aids, there are ways to rescue them. If you follow these steps, your hearing aids should be fine.
Act Quickly
If your hearing aids were dropped in a puddle or other water source where they were submerged, grab them out immediately. If you’re getting sprayed by a sprinkler or hose, get away from the water source as quickly as you can.
Turn It Off
Turn off the hearing aid as soon as you are able, after you’ve removed them from the source of moisture.
Assess the Damage
What you do next depends on what type of water your hearing aids were subjected to. If it was fresh water, proceed to the next step. If it was salty or dirty water, briefly rinse the hearing aids in fresh water before proceeding.
Open the Battery Door
Opening the battery door will allow water to drain from the inside of the device.
Shake the Hearing Aid
Shaking your hearing aid with the battery door open can help propel more water out of the inside.
Dry Everything with a Cloth
Dry off the hearing aid, including inside the battery compartment, as well as the battery itself, with a soft, dry cloth as soon as you can.
Put It in a Dehumidifier
Ideally, you should own a dehumidifier, which you should also pack with you on trips in case of an incident like this. Dehumidifiers are containers with a desiccant inside that draws moisture out of your hearing aids. Keep your hearing aid in the dehumidifier at least overnight.
Try Your Hearing Aids
The next day, you can take your hearing aids out of your dehumidifier, put the battery back in, turn them on and try them out.
Contact Your Audiologist
If the sound coming from your hearing aids is distorted or they’re just not working at all, contact your audiologist. They can let you know if your devices can be repaired or if there’s a warranty. For more information or to schedule an appointment with a hearing aid expert, call The Hearing & Speech Center today.
