If you use hearing aids to treat your hearing loss, you might wonder if it’s safe to play sports with them on. The good news is, not only is it safe, but it can actually improve your experience!
The Importance of Staying Active
Staying physically active is essential to your health. Current guidelines recommend that adults over the age of 18 should get 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity.
Playing sports is a great way to not only get regular physical activity but to build relationships as well. Whether you join an adult soccer league or just like to play pickup basketball with friends at Tyee Community Gym in Bellevue, let’s go over why it’s beneficial to wear your hearing aids when you play and how to care for them during and after.
Benefits of Wearing Your Hearing Aids When Playing Sports
Hearing aids can help you in a variety of different ways when you’re playing sports, including:
- Improving communication with your teammates. When playing sports, it’s important to be able to hear your teammate or coach communicate with you during the game. Whether it’s play calls or instructions on where to move, you’ll have a much easier time knowing what’s going on if you wear your hearing aids.
- Pick up other important sounds. Depending on what sport you play and where you play it, you may need to hear certain other noises as well, such as a buzzer or a referee blowing their whistle. These sounds can be hard to pick up without hearing aids, which is why wearing your device can be helpful.
- Can help with balance. Hearing loss can make you feel unbalanced and disoriented, which is not how you want to feel while in the middle of a game. Keeping your hearing aids in allows you to be more aware of your surroundings and focus on having fun and playing well.
Protecting Your Hearing Aids During Physical Activity
It’s important to take the necessary steps to protect your hearing aids from any potential damage that could occur during physical activity. This includes doing things like using hearing aid clips to prevent your hearing aid from falling to the floor and breaking or getting stepped on or sweatbands to keep moisture off your device.
If you’re playing a contact sport, make sure you find a helmet or headgear that fits over your hearing aids in a comfortable and protective way that still allows you to hear well.
It’s also essential that you clean your hearing aids after playing sports to remove any residual sweat. You can do this by wiping them off with a soft, dry cloth. For extra protection, consider a drying box that you can store your hearing aids in while you shower or sleep to remove even more excess moisture and bacteria.
For more information or to schedule an appointment with one of our specialists, call Evergreen Speech and Hearing Clinic today.