Hearing aids are an integral part of daily life for many people around the world. Needing hearing aids and relying on them to be able to hear is a significant undertaking. It is therefore essential that they are reliable and always operational.
Hearing aids like the CLARIA Atom are so small that once they are in place, many people completely forget they are wearing them. They simply enjoy their hearing. This is an advantage, but it also increases the risk of forgetting you have them on when taking a bath, going to the beach, or taking a quick dip in the pool.
These accidents happen, and knowing what to do when your hearing aids get wet can save you from having to buy a new pair.
Below is a comprehensive guide to the steps to follow if your hearing aids are submerged or wet. These steps do not guarantee that they will still work, but they offer the best chance of recovery after a water incident.
Steps to take when your hearing aids get wet
Everyone knows that electronics and water generally do not mix. The main reason is that water conducts electricity and can create bridges between the connections on the circuit board, which causes a short circuit. Furthermore, moisture can also damage the batteries of electronic devices.
Many hearing aids have some degree of water resistance to protect against moisture from the ear or sweat, but many people confuse this with being waterproof. The difference between waterproof hearing aids and water-resistant hearing aids is that the latter can fail if exposed to an excessive amount of water.
The best thing to do when your hearing aids are soaked is to get rid of as much water as possible, as quickly as possible, and then let them rest. Here is a step-by-step guide to doing this effectively.
1. Turn them off
The very first thing to do when your hearing aids are submerged or soaked is to turn them off. Most hearing aids have a physical switch to turn them off to save battery, and this step is crucial.
Turning off the device opens the internal circuit of the hearing aids. This interrupts the flow of current in the device. Without electricity, you eliminate the risk of water causing a short circuit in the electronics.
2. Remove the batteries if possible
Depending on the hearing aid model you have, it is sometimes possible to remove the batteries. Removing them is another excellent precaution to ensure that current no longer flows through the device and that your batteries do not corrode from contact with stagnant water.
If you have a rechargeable model like the Atom, EV3, or EV1, you will not be able to easily remove the battery. In that case, move directly to step three.
3. Dry them as much as possible
This step may seem obvious and will likely be your first instinct, but it is important to ensure first that the device is completely turned off. To dry it, you can remove the tips to access the internal opening of the hearing aid.
You can also use a dry cotton swab to reach hard-to-reach places. You can also gently shake the device to let out trapped water. If you can't get it all out, don't worry: the next step will eliminate the remaining water.
4. Use a desiccant
This step will completely dry out the inside of the hearing aid. Once all easily accessible water has been evacuated, place your hearing aids in a bag filled with a desiccant. Desiccants are materials that absorb surrounding moisture and effectively eliminate water left in the device.
The best option is to place them in an airtight bag with silica gel packets, but you don't always have them on hand. A solution many people have in their cupboards: rice. Just put raw rice and your hearing aids in a plastic bag or bowl, and leave them there overnight.
This method is not just for hearing aids: it is an excellent technique to use with other electronic devices that have accidentally gotten wet.
5. Turn them back on and test them
The last step is the moment of truth: have your efforts managed to revive your hearing aids? For models with removable batteries, get new batteries and install them before trying to turn them back on.
If you are lucky enough for them to turn on, try the different functions, such as volume control, to verify that they have maintained all their normal operation. And there you go: you have usually saved yourself the purchase of a new pair of hearing aids.
What to do if they no longer work
If you have followed all the steps above and unfortunately find yourself with a pair of out-of-order hearing aids, you will need to look for new ones. It's frustrating, but you can look at the bright side and see it as an opportunity to get the upgrade you needed.
Hearing aids are constantly improving, becoming more compact and easier to carry: taking advantage of this incident to upgrade to a better model helps mitigate the inconvenience and get something positive out of a bad situation.
The CLARIA Atom Pro is an excellent choice for an upgrade. With its compact size, portable charging case, and improved feedback cancellation, you will hear even better than before. Add to that CLARIA's 30-day money-back guarantee, and you're sure to love them, or you get your money back.
How to avoid this situation
After making a mistake once, you generally don't repeat it, but a little nudge to prevent it from happening again is always helpful.
Here is an overview of some preventive measures that will keep you from damaging your hearing aids. We will then see what to do if you have to buy a new pair.
Set reminders
One method to remember to remove your hearing aids before bathing or going swimming is to create alerts on your smartphone. Let's say you go swimming every Tuesday evening: you can easily set a reminder on your phone to remember to take them off, which will prevent you from accidentally submerging them.
Subscribe to a protection guarantee
Accidents happen. One of the best ways to protect against them is to plan ahead and purchase some form of insurance for your hearing aids.
Hearing aids can be considered an investment in your overall well-being, and being without them for a long period can be difficult. To protect this investment, you can subscribe to a protection guarantee. Such a plan will make it easier for you to get a replacement at a reduced rate.
CLARIA's lifetime protection guarantee is an ideal way to protect your investment and be ready for whatever happens. This plan is very useful in case of water damage, breakage, malfunction, and even loss. It allows you to pay a reduced rate and get a full replacement of your hearing aid model.
At $4 per month, the plan remains accessible to all budgets and may be exactly what you need if you are prone to accidents or simply looking for a little more peace of mind. With a protection guarantee, you can sleep soundly: if your hearing aids get wet, you can quickly and easily get a replacement pair.
Protection in place
In short, getting your hearing aids wet is heartbreaking, but there are steps you can take to try to save them and get them working again. Essentially, you must turn them off completely as quickly as possible, then let them dry. Once completely dry, you can turn them back on and see if they still work.
The bag of rice might not necessarily work, but a way to gain peace of mind is to subscribe to a form of guarantee covering water damage.
At CLARIA, we offer a reasonable plan at $4 per month that protects against water damage, loss, and damage in general. For the price of a coffee a month, you have the assurance of never having to go without your hearing aids or your hearing.
Sources
Conductivity (Electrical Conductance) and Water | US Geological Survey
Electronics Water Damage - iFixit
Silicon dioxide | SiO2 | PubChem
