You enjoy swimming and are all about being in the water. The pool is like your second home (when you were a kid, everybody said you were part fish–that’s how often you wanted to go swimming). Today, the water sounds a bit… louder… than usual. And that’s when you notice you may have made a mistake: you brought 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 typically constructed with some level of water resistance in mind. But being resistant to water isn’t the same as actually being 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 some hearing aids are manufactured so a little splatter now and then won’t be a big deal. It all depends on something called an IP rating–that’s the officially designated water resistance number.
Here’s how the IP rating works: every hearing aid is assigned a two-digit number. The first digit signifies the device’s resistance against dirt, dust, and other types of dry erosion.
The second number (and the one we’re really considering here) signifies how resistant your hearing aid is to water. The device will last longer under water the higher this number is. So a device with a rating of IP87 will be quite resistant to sand and function for about thirty minutes in water.
Some contemporary hearing aids can be really water-resistant. But there are no hearing aids currently available that are totally waterproof.
Is water resistance worthwhile?
The intricate electronics inside of your hearing aid case won’t do well with water. Before you go for a swim 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. 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 situations where it can be useful:
- There have been occasions when you’ve forgotten to take your hearing aid out before going into the rain or shower
- If you live in a relatively humid, rainy, or wet climate
- If you sweat significantly, whether at rest or when exercising (sweat, after all, is a kind of water)
- You love boating or other water activities that produce over-spray
This is surely not an exhaustive list. It’ll be up to you and your hearing specialist to consider your day-to-day life and determine just what sort of water resistance is strong enough for your life.
Your hearing aids need to be taken care of
It’s worthwhile to mention that water-resistant doesn’t mean maintenance-free. You will want to keep your hearing aids clean and dry.
You may, in some scenarios, need to get a dehumidifier. But in most situations, a clean dry storage place will work fine (depending on where you live). But certain kinds of moisture can leave residue (like sweat), so to get the best results, you will also want to take enough time to clean your hearing aids thoroughly.
If your hearing aids get wet, what should you do?
If waterproof hearing aids don’t exist, should you panic when your devices get wet? Well, no–mostly because panicking won’t improve anything anyway. But you will want to completely allow your hearing aids to dry and consult 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 abstain from getting your hearing aids wet, you will get the best results. The drier your hearing devices remain, the better.