Summer Travel and Your Hearing Health: What You Need to Know

Summer is finally here and with it comes plenty of opportunity to enjoy ourselves. Time with family and friends, school holidays and garden parties. You may be turning your attention to jetting away on holiday for some well-deserved rest and relaxation.

Whether you’re home or abroad, your hearing health should always be a priority. Fortunately, taking care of your hearing health and hearing aids is easy when you’re prepared. Take a look at what you need to know.

Swimming

There’s nothing like taking a quick dip in a swimming pool to cool off on a hot summer’s day. However, it’s important to remember that swimming can damage your ears if they’re not protected. All swimming pools contain bacteria in the water and when this water enters your ears, it can make its way to your ear canals.

Your ear canals are warm enough to multiply any bacteria that gets inside. If this happens it could lead to an ear infection. Ear infections can cause inflammation and be painful. To avoid this, use ear protection, clean your ears as soon as you exit the pool or keep your ears above the water.

Heat and Moisture

Heat and moisture are your hearing aids’ worst enemies. Whether it’s condensation because of increased temperature or the fact that you’re sweating more than usual, your hearing aids could be at risk. If your hearing aids come into contact with too much moisture, you may find that they stop working properly. Signs of a hearing that isn’t working properly include weak or distorted sound quality, bad functionality and running out of battery quickly. Try and reduce the amount of moisture your hearing aid is exposed to.

Excessive Noise

Summer is a great excuse for a party. If you’re traveling this summer, you may find yourself at events with loud music or theatrical productions. To avoid damaging your hearing health, try to stay away from loud noises or wear ear protection. This also applies to using loud equipment like lawn mowers or power tools when trying to get your garden ready for summer parties. Your hearing instrument specialist may be able to recommend ear protection suited to you for a variety of summer activities.

Oils and Sunscreen

It’s vital to use sun protection during the summer months to ensure your skin has the best care. However, the oils contained in sunscreen can be damaging to your hearing aids. Make sure to remove your hearing aids before applying creams or sprays near your ears.

Once applied, the creams or oils should be fully absorbed before you put your hearing aids back in. If you forget to remove your hearing aid and get sunscreen on it, quickly remove it and dry it before any oil gets into the seams or microphone ports.

Social Events

Summer is a great opportunity to travel with family and friends and see new places. You’re likely to be in large crowds, eating, drinking and enjoying yourself. So, the last thing you need is for your hearing aid battery to fail you.

Be sure to take plenty of batteries, domes, filters and cleaners with you in your suitcase. If you run out of something you need, ask the staff in your hotel to direct you to the nearest hearing instrument specialist for help. Things to remember:

• Always remove your hearing aids before swimming or showering to avoid damage.
• Keep your hearing aids in a protective case when they aren’t in use.
• Open the battery door to release any moisture overnight.
• Keep your ears clean and dry before putting hearing aids back in.
• To remove swimming pool water from your ears, tilt your head to one side and wait for the water to drip out. Dry your ear once the water is released.
• Refrain from using cotton swabs to clean earwax. This can cause damage to your ears.

Summer will always be a fun time, but your hearing health should take priority. Before you travel on holiday this year, schedule an appointment with your hearing instrument specialist. This is to ensure nothing with your ear health has changed and you have everything you need to enjoy your summer as much as possible.

This is the perfect time to pick up any extra batteries, check your hearing aids are working well and get customised ear protection if you need it. Get more information about the team at Hearing Well Matters by calling us today at (647) 247-2704.