As a swimmer, you enjoy going in the water. The pool is like your second home (when you were younger, everybody said you were part fish–that’s how regularly you wanted to swim). The water seems a little…louder… than normal today. And that’s when you notice you might have made a mistake: you wore your hearing aids into the pool. And you don’t know if it’s waterproof or not.
In the majority of scenarios, you’re right to be a little concerned. Hearing aids are often constructed with some level of water resistance in mind. But a device that resists water is much different than a device that’s waterproof.
Water resistance ratings and hearing aids
Generally speaking, your hearing aids are going to function best when they are kept dry and clean. But for most hearing aids, it won’t be a big deal if you get a little water on them. It all depends on something known as an IP rating–that’s the officially designated water resistance number.
The IP number works by giving every device a two digit number. The first digit signifies the device’s resistance to dirt, dust, and other forms of dry erosion.
The number here that we’re really interested in though, is the second number which represents the device’s resistance to water. The device will last longer under water the greater this number is. So a device with a rating of IP87 will be very resistant to sand and work for around thirty minutes in water.
Some modern hearing aids can be very water-resistant. But there aren’t any hearing aids currently available that are completely waterproof.
Is water resistance worthwhile?
The advanced electronics inside your hearing aid case aren’t going to do well with water. Before you go swimming or into the shower you will probably want to take out your hearing aid and depending on the IP rating, avoid using them 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 scenarios in which a high IP rating will definitely be advantageous:
- If you have a heavy sweating problem
- You love boating or other water activities that generate over-spray
- If you live in a relatively humid, rainy, or wet environment
- There have been times when you’ve forgotten to take your hearing aid out before going into the rain or shower
This is certainly not an exhaustive list. Naturally, what degree of water resistance will be enough for your day-to-day routine will only be able to be identified after a consultation.
Your hearing aids need to be cared for
It’s important to mention that water-resistant doesn’t mean maintenance-free. You will need to keep your hearing aids dry and clean.
You may, in some circumstances, need to get a dehumidifier. But in most situations, a nice dry storage place will work fine (depending on where you live). But certain types of moisture can leave residue (sweat among them), so to get the best results, you will also want to take the proper time to clean your hearing aids completely.
If your hearing aids get wet, what should you do?
Just because waterproof hearing aids don’t exist doesn’t mean you should panic if your hearing aid gets wet. Well, no–mostly because panicking won’t improve anything anyway. But you need to give your hearing aids sufficient time to dry out entirely and if they have a low IP rating, we can help you identify if there is any damage.
The IP rating on your hearing device will give you a concept of what you can expect when it comes to possible water damage. At the very least, try not to forget to take your hearing aids out before you go swimming. It’s best to keep your hearing aids as dry as you can.