Yvonne Doyle
Ms Doyle won the 2017 'Irish Audiologist of the Year. The competition is organised by leading hearing aid battery manufacturer Rayovac, a division of Spectrum Brands Holdings Inc., who this year welcomed a new sponsor, The European Federation of Hard of Hearing People (EFHOH), on board, joining longstanding partners Audio Infos, and the European Hearing Instrument Manufacturers Association (EHIMA).
Find Out More About Yvonne
Exercise is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle, and raising your heart rate for at least 30 minutes, five times per week, is the best way to protect yourself against problems with your general health and your hearing. However, if you have hearing loss, you may feel that it is difficult to exercise with hearing aids.
If you have had a hearing assessment and been advised that hearing aids are a good idea, you should wear these as advised by your audiologist. Most people are advised to wear them most of the time, since this can help to avoid further deterioration of the hearing organs and give a good hearing experience. Wearing them when you exercise is important, especially if you exercise with others or outside, where there is the risk of traffic, but you will need to take precautions to prevent them from damage.
Protecting Hearing Aids While You Exercise:
Here at Hidden Hearing, we sometimes recommend waterproof hearing aids and waterproof batteries, especially for people who like to exercise a lot. However, most hearing aids are liable to be damaged by a build up of excess sweat or moisture, leading to water damage in the devices. It is important to protect your hearing aids as much as possible, by following our tips:
- Use a dehumidifier. Moisture is one of the most common causes of damage to hearing aids, and you can reduce the risk of damage by allowing your hearing aids to dry thoroughly in a dehumidifier overnight or after you have exercised.
- Wear sweat bands. Wearing sweat bands can help to reduce the moisture around your hearing aids and protect them from damage, so are very useful while you are exercising. They can also be very helpful to keep your hearing aids in place, so that they are not dislodged or shaken out while you are exercising.
- Be careful with chemicals. Chemical based products such as sun lotion and insect repellent may be necessary if you are exercising out of doors, but you must ensure that these do not come into contact with your hearing aids as they can cause serious damage to the devices.
- Watch out for the weather. Exercising, or simply being outdoors, in heavy rain or snow is likely to result in damage to your hearing aids if you are not careful. Ensuring that your hearing aids are protected from inclement weather under a hat or hood can help to keep your hearing aids dry and safe.
Book A Free Hearing Test at Hidden Hearing
If you think that you may have hearing loss, you should make an appointment to see an audiologist, who will offer you a free hearing test to establish your base line hearing level. If you have developed permanent hearing loss, you will be offered a variety of solutions, including hearing aids. Modern digital hearing aids are tiny and discreet, while offering a great hearing experience, so other people will not even know that you are wearing them!
Hidden Hearing is Ireland’s leading private provider of hearing care solutions, and our national network includes over seventy-five branches and clinics. Simply contact Hidden Hearing online today, or pop into your local branch.
