Hearing aid wearers should use a drying device every night, especially during periods of elevated humidity (which for Missouri is pretty much all the time).

Hearing instruments are difficult to keep dry for many reasons, the most important of which is that they are almost sealed containers. Moisture gets inside the hearing aid through condensation, caused by temperature changes such as entering an air-conditioned room after being in warm outside air. Additionally, moisture arrives by capillary action, where ear mold tubing of Behind-The-Ear style hearing aids is a common culprit. If you add perspiration and ear wax to the mix, it is easy to see why some hearing aid users have chronic – and aggravating – moisture-related problems.

While frequency of use is important, the quality of drying can be even more important. In general, there are four factors that affect the rate of drying & evaporation: temperature, air movement, exposed surface area, and humidity.

A classic dry-aid kit operates on a single factor, and that is the reduction of relative humidity through *physical* removal of the moisture from the air – by a desiccant. The quality of drying of these kits suffers when compared with more active systems. It can be effective for many users in moderate climates with low humidity, and such kits will work better when hearing aids are left inside for long periods of time. Similarly, heated boxes also normally call on only one factor, which is warm stationary air.

We recommend the Dry & Store kit for those who have chronic hearing aid moisture problems which combines three of the four factors. It generates controlled heat (90-95 degrees F), germicidally pure desiccated, and it has a fan that produces airflow. This and other hearing aid drying products are available at our College Springs Plaza Office.

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