Should You Stop Wearing Hearing Aids?

Getting used to new hearing aids can be challenging. It may feel awkward and uncomfortable at times! Like anything new, habits have to be formed to get used to wearing your hearing aids.

When you first start wearing hearing aids, it is recommended that you practice wearing them as often as possible. It may be strange at first, but before you know it, you will feel comfortable returning to your normal lifestyle and enjoy new opportunities to socialize and get active.

Staying physically active is an essential part of everyday life. An active lifestyle improves health, sleep, and concentration. If you plan to get back into a workout routine, you should take your hearing aid out during workouts.

There are two main reasons: you don’t want to worry about damaging them with sweat and moisture. Secondly, you don’t want to worry about losing them when exercising vigorously.

When is it good to take out your hearing aids?

As discussed, you should wear your hearing aids as much as possible to derive the most benefit. But there are times when it’s best to take them out.

Intense workouts or exercise

Taking your hearing aids out during exercise can reduce anxiety and stress. You don’t have to worry about whether or not they will fall out and get damaged or lost. If you are playing a contact sport you won’t have to worry about harm to your ear or aid if you accidentally get hit in the head.

Preventing your hearing aids from getting damaged goes a long way in making them last longer and work better. Whether you are walking on an elliptical, or a jog, if your ear begins to sweat, the hearing aid may fall out and become misplaced or broken. And, when exposed too often to sweat, hearing aids can become embedded with bacterial growth. It’s best to keep your headphones in their case when engaging in intense workouts.

If you start working out and forget to take out your hearing aid, you may want to find a safe place for them. One way is to wrap your hearing aid in a towel and put it in a bag. Another way is to put your hearing aid in your pocket or your bra. If you are having trouble finding a place to put your hearing aid during your workout, you may want to consider using a headband to keep the hearing aid in place.

Following a routine for taking out your hearing aids and keeping them in a safe place will help reduce stress or worry about losing them.

Swimming, Surfing, or Showering

To protect your hearing aids, it is important to ensure they are not exposed to water. If you go swimming, surfing, or even take a shower, your hearing aid can get wet. This can be damaging and cause them to short out or corrode. This will shorten the life of your hearing aid.

You will have to try to dry out the hearing aids, but there is no guarantee that your hearing aids won’t be damaged and need replacement.

Extreme Weather

Rain, sleet, and snow can cause damage to your hearing aids. Take them out if you are going to be shoveling snow or if you get caught in an unexpected downpour.

Sleep

It is not recommended to sleep with your hearing aids in. Sleeping without your hearing aids will help the battery last longer. Your ears will get a break as well.

There may be times that you worry you won’t listen to your environment at night. If it causes you more stress to have your hearing aids out at night, go ahead and wear them.

Plan on needing to change the batteries more often or you may need to take them out during the day to recharge if your aids are rechargeable.

Additional Tips for Caring for Your Hearing Aids

To ensure that your hearing aids last as long as possible, you should take care of them in the following ways:

• Inspect and clean your headphones daily with anti-bacterial wipes and a hearing aid puffer.
• Store them in a clean, cool, dry space when they are not in use.
• Keep them away from extreme heat or cold conditions.
• Make sure your ears are dry before putting your hearing aids on again.

If you have been wearing your hearing aids while working out and aren’t working the way they should, you may need to get a new pair or repair your old ones. Visit El Dorado Hearing if you are having problems with your hearing aids so we can get you back to healthy hearing!