If you’re a hearing aid user, you know that spending time outdoors in cold weather can be extra complicated if it’s windy. Protect your hearing aids and your hearing by following our tips below on using your hearing aids on windy days.
Hazards of the Wind
Windy days aren’t just complicated and annoying; they can also hurt your hearing aids. Wind noise can create unsafe conditions and even harm your residual hearing, while dust can blow into your hearing aids and cause some damage.
Wind Noise
The biggest nuisance for hearing aid users on windy days is wind noise. Wind noise occurs because the air flow around your ears and the hearing aid microphone causes turbulence, and the rapidly fluctuating air pressure causes a physical disturbance to the microphone. This creates a loud, annoying whooshing sound.
This loud noise can drown out all other sounds, making it incredibly difficult to listen to conversations or maintain situational awareness. Being unable to hear your surroundings can be a safety concern, as your ability to hear orients you to your environment and alerts you to potential threats.
Additionally, depending on the speed of the wind and the angle of your head, wind noise can reach dangerous volume levels. Sounds above 85 decibels can cause hearing damage, and wind noise can reach levels as high as 116 decibels.
Dust, Debris and Rain
Should you worry about the wind blowing dust or debris into your hearing aids? It’s more common than you’d expect. Your hearing aids are tough pieces of technology, but they still contain delicate components that can be damaged by dust buildup. Clogged speakers from dust buildup can cause feedback, distorted sound, decreased sound or other malfunctions. Wind can kick up a lot of dust, and the particles are so fine that you might not notice them at first.
On rainy, windy days, you need to be vigilant about keeping your hearing aids dry. Any amount of water can potentially damage hearing aids. Water can damage the electrical components or corrode the battery. Of course, your hearing aids will probably survive a couple of raindrops. If the rain is light and you’re only going to be outside briefly, then you’re probably safe. However, being in a downpour for an extended period may pose real risks. In either case, it’s good to exercise caution when dealing with water.
How To Protect Your Hearing Aids
Covering up your hearing aids is the easiest and most effective way to prevent the hazards posed by the wind; air flow won’t reach your hearing aids and cause wind noise, and dust and rain won’t make contact. You can use hats, scarves or earmuffs to cover up your hearing aids, or invest in hearing aid accessories designed specifically for windy conditions, such as wind guards and socks.
Can I Just Take Out My Hearing Aids?
While removing your hearing aids will stop wind noise and keep particles and rain out, we don’t recommend this. As mentioned above, your ability to hear is integral to your situational awareness and personal safety. It’s better to be able to hear hazards through wind noise than not hear them at all.
Talk To Your Audiologist
Your audiologist can help with wind issues in many ways. They can set up a specialized hearing aid program for windy conditions that detects and decreases wind noise—much like background noise suppression—or help you choose a protective hearing aid accessory that works for your needs and fits your lifestyle. If you’re struggling with your hearing aids on windy days and want to discuss ways to manage the hazards, call Albany ENT & Allergy Services today.