As a swimmer, you enjoy going in the water. When you were a kid, everybody said you were part fish because you liked to swim so much the pool was your second home. The water seems a little…louder… than usual today. And that’s when you realize you might have made a mistake: you brought your hearing aids into the pool. And you don’t know if it’s waterproof or not.
In most scenarios, you’re right to be a little concerned. Normally, contemporary hearing aids are resistant to water to some degree. But being resistant to water is not the same as actually being waterproof.
Hearing aids and water resistance ratings
In general speaking, your hearing aids are going to function best when they are kept clean and dry. But for the majority of hearing aids, it won’t be a big deal if you get a little water on them. The IP rating is the official water resistance figure and determines how water resistant a hearing aid is.
Here’s how the IP rating works: every hearing aid is assigned a two-digit number. The first number represents the device’s resistance to dirt, dust, and other kinds of dry erosion.
The second number (and the one we’re really considering here) signifies how resistant your device is to water. The higher the number, the longer the device will last under water. So a device with a rating of IP87 will be very resistant to sand and function for about thirty minutes in water.
Although there aren’t any hearing aids presently available that are entirely waterproof, there are some that can have a high water resistance rating.
Is water resistance worthwhile?
Your hearing aids have sophisticated electronics inside them which can be damaged by moisture. Before you go swimming or into the shower you will definitely want to take out your hearing aid and depending on the IP rating, avoid using them in excessively humid weather. If you drop your hearing aid in the deep end of the pool, a high IP rating won’t help much, but there are other circumstances where it can be useful:
- You have a history of forgetting to take your hearing aids out before you take a shower or go out into the rain
- If you live in a fairly humid, rainy, or wet environment
- You have a passion for water sports (like fishing or boating); the spray from the boat may call for high IP rated hearing aids
- If you have a heavy sweating issue
This is surely not a complete list. It’ll be up to you and your hearing specialist to take a look at your daily life and decide just what type of water resistance is strong enough for your routine.
You have to care for your hearing aids
It’s important to note that water-resistant doesn’t mean maintenance-free. You will need to keep your hearing aids dry and clean.
In some instances, that could mean investing in a dehumidifier. But in most situations, a clean dry storage place will work fine (depending on where you live). But some kinds of moisture can leave residue (sweat among them), so to get the best benefits, you will also want to take the proper time to clean your hearing aids thoroughly.
If your hearing aids get wet, what should you do?
If there’s no such thing as a waterproof hearing aid, should you panic when your devices get wet? Mostly because panicking never helps anyway so it’s best to stay calm. But you need to give your hearing aids enough time to dry out entirely and if they have a low IP rating, we can help you determine if there is any damage.
How much damage your hearing aid has sustained can be approximated based on the IP rating. At the very least, try to remember to remove your hearing aids before you go swimming. It’s best to keep your hearing aids as dry as you can.