It’s summertime, and that means the air is sweltering and a dip in the pool sounds more refreshing than ever. If you wear hearing aids, your pool days need to include a few safety precautions to protect your devices. Those precautions will vary depending on how water-resistant or waterproof your hearing aids are.
How We Measure Waterproofing
Hearing aid manufacturers use the ingress protection rating to explain how waterproof their devices are. There are two numbers to an IP rating:
- The 1st number indicates protection from solid objects like dust (zero indicates no protection, and six indicates dust-tight)
- The 2nd number indicates protection from water (zero indicates no protection and six indicates protection against high pressure and jets)
Many modern hearing aids boast an impressive IP68 rating, indicating they’re dust-tight and protected against continuous immersion in water. You can find a detailed IP chart here.[1]
What Waterproof Hearing Aids Mean for Pool Days
Water exposure used to be a big concern for hearing aid users. The waterproofing on newer hearing aids is designed to protect your devices against accidental splashes—meaning you don’t have to be as concerned about wearing them around the pool. However, even when your hearing aids have an IP68 rating, it’s best to treat their waterproofing as an insurance measure; if you drop them in the pool, they’re unlikely to be permanently damaged.
If you drop your hearing aids in the pool, take the following steps to remove the moisture:
- Turn your hearing aids off
- Remove disposable batteries if applicable
- Shake your hearing aid gently to remove excess water
- Place your devices in a specialty hearing aid dehumidifier or drying jar filled with desiccating beads
- Replace your batteries with new ones once your devices are dry
Don’t use a hair dryer or other heated tools not specifically designed for hearing aids. Your devices are delicate and require steady, low heat to prevent damage.
Preventing Water Exposure on Pool Days
Before you jump in the pool, remove your hearing aids and place them in their case, away from the water. Don’t put your hearing aids back in until your ears and hair are dry.
If you notice any sound issues after water exposure, contact Massachusetts Hearing Group for a repair.
[1] International Electrotechnical Commission. (2020, February 12). Ingress protection (IP) ratings guide. https://www.iec.ch/basecamp/ingress-protection-ip-ratings-guide