As a swimmer, you enjoy going in the water. When you were younger, 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 then you realize your oversight: you went in the pool with your hearing aid in. And you don’t know if it’s waterproof or not.
In the majority of cases, you’re right to be a bit concerned. Hearing aids are frequently built with some degree 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
Keeping your hearing aids clean and dry is the best way to keep them in proper working order. But some hearing aids are made so a little splash here and there won’t be a problem. 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 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 considering 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 extremely strong resistance to dry erosion and will be okay under water for around 30 minutes.
Although there aren’t any hearing aids currently available that are entirely waterproof, there are some that can have a high water resistance rating.
Is water resistance worthwhile?
Your hearing aids have advanced electronics inside them which can be damaged by moisture. Ordinarily, you’ll want to take out your hearing aids before you go swimming or jump in the shower or depending on the IP rating, sit outside 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 scenarios where it can be useful:
- If the climate where you live is rainy or excessively humid
- If you have a heavy sweating problem
- You love boating or other water activities that produce over-spray
- There have been occasions when you’ve forgotten to take your hearing aid out before going into the rain or shower
This is surely not a complete list. Naturally, what level of water resistance will be enough for your daily life will only be able to be determined after a consultation.
You have to care for your hearing aids
It’s worthwhile to note 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 might, in some situations, need to get a dehumidifier. But in most cases, a clean dry storage place will work fine (depending on where you live). And it will be necessary to completely clean and remove any residue left behind by certain moistures including sweat.
If your hearing aids get wet, what should you do?
Just because there’s no such thing as a waterproof hearing aid doesn’t mean you should panic if your hearing aid gets 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 thoroughly and if they have a low IP rating, we can help you find out if there is any damage.
The IP rating on your hearing aid will give you an idea of what you can expect in terms of possible water damage. 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 possible.