You enjoy swimming and are all about going into the water. The pool is like your second home (when you were younger, everyone said you were part fish–that’s how regularly you wanted to swim). The water seems a little…louder… than usual today. And then you recognize your oversight: you went into the pool with your hearing aid in. And you don’t know if it’s waterproof or not.
In the majority of scenarios, you’re right to be a little worried. Hearing aids are frequently designed with some amount of water resistance in mind. But being resistant to water isn’t the same as actually being waterproof.
Hearing aids and water resistance ratings
Generally speaking, your hearing aids are going to function best when they are kept dry and clean. But for the majority of hearing aids, it won’t be a big deal if you get a little water on them. It all depends on something called an IP rating–that’s the officially designated water resistance number.
The IP number works by giving every device a two digit number. The device’s resistance to dust, sand, and other forms of dry erosion is delineated by the first number.
The number here that we’re really considering though, is the second digit which signifies the hearing aid’s resistance to water. The higher the number, the longer the device will keep working under water. So if a device has a rating of IP87 it will have really strong resistance to dry erosion and will be okay under water for about a half hour.
Some contemporary hearing aids can be quite water-resistant. But there aren’t any hearing aids currently available that are entirely waterproof.
Is water resistance worthwhile?
The intricate electronics inside your hearing aid case won’t do well with water. 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. No amount of water resistance will help if you drop your hearing aids in the deep end of the pool, but there are some scenarios where a high IP rating will definitely be advantageous:
- If you sweat substantially, whether at rest or when exercising (sweat, after all, is a kind of water)
- There have been times when you’ve forgotten to remove your hearing aids before going into the rain or shower
- You love boating or other water activities that generate over-spray
- If you live in a relatively humid, rainy, or wet climate
This list is just a small sample. It’ll be up to you and your hearing specialist to take a look at your day-to-day life and figure out just what type of water resistance is strong enough for your life.
Your hearing aids need to be cared for
Your hearing aid is not maintenance-free just because it’s water resistant. Between sweat-filled runs, it will be in your best interest to make sure that you clean your hearing aids and keep them dry.
You may, in some scenarios, need to purchase a dehumidifier. But in most cases, 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 enough 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 need to panic if your hearing aid gets wet. Well, no–mostly because getting panicked won’t help anything anyway. 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 find out if there is any damage.
How much damage your hearing aid has sustained can be approximated based on the IP rating. If you can abstain from getting your hearing aids wet, you will get the best results. It’s best to keep your hearing aids as dry as you can.
