According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIH), approximately 28.8 million Americans could benefit from hearing aids. Hearing aid users should bring their devices to a hearing health professional at least once a year for routine maintenance and fine-tuning. If your annual checkup is coming up this winter, don’t discount the effect winter weather might have on your hearing and hearing aids.
The Effects of Cold Weather on Hearing Aids
Like any other electronic device, your hearing aids will be affected by cold temperatures and moisture. These are common hazards in winter, and it’s wise to be aware of how they can affect your hearing aids.
Moisture makes its presence known in two primary ways: winter precipitation (rain and snow) and condensation. Air molecules carry water molecules, but the amount of water they can hold depends on the temperature. Cold air molecules hold less water, but that water has to go somewhere. That’s why you see so much condensation on your car windows and glasses in the winter: that’s water that the air couldn’t hold. Condensation lands on your hearing aids, too, and since your hearing aids are so small, it doesn’t take much condensation to cause significant moisture accumulation in the delicate components. The same goes for rain and snow.
The next hazard is the cold temperatures. You’ll notice the effects of freezing temperatures mainly in the battery life. The battery in your hearing aids can run out much faster in cold temperatures.
Monitoring Hearing Health in the Winter
Winter presents some good opportunities to check in with yourself regarding your hearing health. Holiday parties, for example, present just the kind of listening scenario that allows you to evaluate how well you can follow conversations and hear in noisy settings. Take note of these things and bring them up with your audiologist; it could indicate that you need an adjustment to your listening programs or prescription.
Hearing health can also be affected by the flu season. Last flu season, the 2024–2025 season, was the most severe flu season in over a decade, and this season may be similar. Ear infections are a common side effect of viral infections, and they can cause tinnitus or hearing loss.
How to Prepare for Your Checkup
When you come in for your annual hearing care checkup, it’s a good idea to keep all of the above information in mind so you can discuss it with your audiologist. Bring up any issues caused by cold weather or moisture, and your audiologist can inspect them for damage and perform any necessary minor repairs.
Additionally, if you noticed any hearing issues not adequately addressed by your hearing aids, such as difficulty hearing speech in noise or needing more background noise suppression, your audiologist can perform a hearing test for an updated audiogram and make any necessary adjustments from there.
Winter is a perfect time to evaluate your hearing aids and your hearing needs. Call M.K. Larson Audiology today to schedule a hearing care checkup.
