Shooting hoops at Glenlake Park or joining a local pickleball tournament is a great way to exercise while having fun. If you wear hearing aids, you might worry that playing sports will put your devices at risk of damage.
Let’s take a look at a couple of ways sports can damage hearing aids and how you can protect them.
How Sports Can Damage Hearing Aids
There are two main ways sports can damage hearing aids:
- Physical damage. Dropping, stepping on or crushing your hearing aids are all possibilities in sports. For example, you may take a basketball to the side of your head, hitting and damaging your hearing aids.
- Water damage. If you enjoy swimming or hiking along river trails, your devices can incur water damage.
In addition to damage, it’s easy to lose your hearing aids while exercising if they’re not secured.
Tips To Protect Your Hearing Aids
Approximately 28.8 million U.S. adults could benefit from hearing aids. Protecting your devices ensures you enjoy the clear speech they offer for years to come. Try a few of the following strategies:
- Use lanyards or clips. Specialty hearing aid lanyards or clips attach your devices to your shirt or neck to protect them if they fall out.
- Remove your devices before swimming. Water and electronics don’t mix. Even if your hearing aids are waterproof or water-resistant, remove them before swimming. You can wear them during hikes as long as they’re secure. If they get wet, remove and dry them off immediately and place them in an electric hearing aid dryer or drying jar as soon as possible.
- Wear a sweatband. A sweatband serves two purposes: it keeps sweat from damaging your hearing aids, and it holds your hearing aids in place. Wear one during sweat-heavy sports or ones where you bend in odd positions like yoga or Pilates.
- Schedule regular services. During a hearing aid service and repair appointment, your specialist will adjust the settings on your devices and professionally clean them to ensure they’re working their best. Schedule an appointment every six months or whenever you notice a sound quality dip.
For more information on caring for your hearing aids, contact Speech & Hearing Associates today.