When you go on vacation to southern countries in the summer—or even when the thermometer at home hits 40 degrees—the question arises: Can high temperatures damage your hearing aid? The answer is: yes and no. What you should never do is leave your hearing aid lying in direct sunlight or, for example, store it in a car on very hot days. That’s because the devices can get very hot and sustain damage.

Otherwise, the rule is: If you wear your hearing aid as usual in or behind your ears, even temperatures above 40 degrees won’t harm your hearing aid. That’s because even when the outside temperature rises sharply, our bodies are able to regulate their temperature. Our body’s natural temperature of 37 degrees is therefore not exceeded. This means that it rarely gets warmer than 38 degrees behind our ears either.

Since you should protect your head from direct sunlight on hot days anyway, wearing a hat serves a dual purpose: It protects not only your head but also your hearing aid.

Sweat is a liquid and, just like other liquids, can damage a hearing aid. However, normal sweating—such as on hot summer days—does not pose a particular risk to modern hearing aid systems. Most hearing aids have what’s known as splash protection and are designed to withstand small amounts of liquid. Nevertheless, it is recommended to clean the hearing aid regularly and let it dry overnight so that sweat residue does not damage the delicate electronics inside the hearing aid.

If you want to escape the heat and cool off with a dip in the water, you should think about your hearing aid first. There are now waterproof models that can be worn while swimming and even offer protection at depths of several meters. If you don’t have such a model, remove your hearing aid before swimming. This way, there’s no risk of damaging the hearing aid, and you can easily put it back in your ear after cooling off.

To be on the safe side, simply ask when purchasing your hearing aid whether it’s a waterproof model and what the maximum operating temperature is. You can find a hearing care professional near you here.