When your hearing aid gets wet

Editor: So what do you do when your hearing aid gets wet? Here are some good suggestions from the folks at hear-it.org. Do take a minute and visit their excellent site.

December 2010

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A hearing aid, like most electronic devices, should be kept away from water. But if you lead an active life, your hearing aid might get wet by accident. You may also forget to take off your hearing aid before taking a shower.

If your hearing aid gets wet, here is some advice for you:
* Switch off your hearing aid immediately.
* Remove the battery from the hearing aid. Dry the battery meticulously with a dry cloth.
* Shake the hearing aid to remove all possible water. Before shaking it, make sure that the battery compartment is open.
* Place your hearing aid on a newspaper, placed on a moderately warm radiator for some hours with the battery compartment open.

Using a dehumidifier

A dehumidifier is a very useful device for the maintenance and care of hearing aids. The system removes all humidity from the hearing aid, dries the wax out, and eliminates the bad smell and bacteria.
* Open the battery compartment and take out the battery, leave the battery compartment open.
* Dry the hearing aid and the battery with a dry cloth.
* Place your hearing aid and battery in an appropriate dehumidifying system.
* Keep your devices in the dehumidifying system for 24 hours, or 3-4 drying cycles.
* After the 24 hours or the 3-4 cycles, place a new battery (or fully reloaded one) into the hearing aid and check if it works.

Salty or dirty water

If your hearing aid gets wet with salty or dirty water, the same procedure is still correct, but the device should be rinsed immediately with fresh water before being placed into the dehumidifier.

Need more help?

If you have followed this advice and your hearing aid is still not working, take it to your hearing aid provider to see if it needs to be repaired.