You enjoy swimming and are all about being in the water. When you were a kid, everybody said you were part fish because you loved to swim so much the pool was your second home. Today, the water seems a little… louder… than usual. And then you recognize your oversight: you went in the pool with your hearing aid in. And you don’t know if it’s waterproof or not.
Normally, this would be somewhat of a worry. Hearing aids are frequently constructed with some level of water resistance in mind. But a device that resists water is a great deal different than a device that’s waterproof.
Water resistance ratings and hearing aids
Generally speaking, your hearing aids are going to work best when they are kept dry and clean. But for most hearing aids, it won’t be a problem 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 device is assigned a two-digit number. The device’s resistance to dust, sand, and other kinds of dry erosion is represented by the first number.
The second digit (and the one we’re really interested in here) represents how resistant your device is to water. The device will last longer under water the greater this number is. So if a device has a rating of IP87 it will have very strong resistance to dry erosion and will be okay under water for about 30 minutes.
Some contemporary hearing aids can be very water-resistant. But there are no hearing aids presently available that are entirely waterproof.
Is water resistance worthwhile?
The intricate electronics inside of your hearing aid case aren’t going to do well with water. Ordinarily, you’ll want to remove your hearing aids before you go for a swim or jump into the shower or depending on the IP rating, go outside in overly humid weather. No level of water resistance will help if you drop your hearing aids in the deep end of the pool, but there are some circumstances in which a high IP rating will absolutely be advantageous:
- You have a passion for water sports (such as fishing or boating); the spray from the boat could warrant high IP rated hearing aids
- If you live in a fairly humid, rainy, or wet climate
- You have a track record of forgetting to take out your hearing aid before you take a shower or walk out into the rain
- If you have a heavy sweating issue
This list is only a small sample. Naturally, what degree of water resistance will be sufficient for your day-to-day life will only be able to be determined after a consultation.
Your hearing aids need to be taken care of
It’s important to mention that water-resistant doesn’t mean maintenance-free. Between sweat-filled runs, it will be wise to make sure that you clean your hearing aids and keep them dry.
You may, in some scenarios, need to purchase a dehumidifier. In other circumstances, it might just mean storing your hearing aids in a clean dry place at night (it depends on your climate). And it will be necessary to thoroughly clean and remove any residue left behind by some moistures including sweat.
If your hearing aids get wet, what should you do?
Just because waterproof hearing aids don’t exist doesn’t mean you need to panic if your hearing aid gets wet. Well, no–mostly because getting panicked won’t help anything anyway. But you will want to completely let your hearing aid dry and check in with us to make certain that they aren’t damaged, especially if they have a low IP rating.
The IP rating on your hearing device will give you an idea of what you can expect when it comes to possible water damage. If you can avoid getting your hearing aids wet, you will get the best results. The drier your hearing devices stay, the better.
