Hearing Aids and Water: Wudu, Showers, Swimming and Rain

AudiologyOctober 13, 20269 min read

Hearing aids and water do not mix well, even when a hearing aid has a water-resistance rating. The simple rule is to take your hearing aids out before wudu, showers and swimming, keep them dry in rain, and know what to do if one gets wet. Every Danavox family in our catalogue lists an IP68 rating, but IP68 means resistance to water, not that a hearing aid is made for swimming.

In Oman, water is part of every day: wudu five times a day, showers in the heat, the pool or the sea at the weekend, and the occasional heavy rain. This guide gives practical care habits for each of these moments, so your hearing aids stay dry and keep working.

Why hearing aids and water need care

A hearing aid is a small electronic device with microphones, a processor, a speaker (the receiver) and a battery. Moisture can reach the microphone openings and the part in the ear, and over time it can affect the sound or cause faults. The US National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) advises keeping hearing aids away from heat and moisture.

There is also a practical reason: our warranty does not cover hearing aids dropped into liquids. Good habits protect both the device and your warranty.

What IP68 does and does not mean

All eight Danavox families in our hearing aids catalogue list an IP68 rating in the manufacturer's features, and Danavox describes several of them as "all-weatherproof". According to the manufacturer, some families go further:

Astro Core: "IP68-rated all-weatherproof nanocoating", with exchangeable microphone filters.
Astro Pro: "IP68-rated with protective nanocoating", with exchangeable microphone filters.
Astro Pro SP: "IP68-rated, fully nanocoated inside and out", with exchangeable microphone filters.

IP68 is a rating for resistance to dust and water under test conditions. It helps a hearing aid cope with sweat, humidity, splashes and a sudden shower of rain. It does not mean the hearing aid is designed to be worn while swimming, under the shower or during wudu, and the catalogue does not describe any model as a swimming hearing aid. Treat the rating as a safety margin for accidents, not as permission to get the hearing aid wet.

Hearing aids and wudu

Wudu involves washing the face, hands and feet and wiping the head and ears, so water and wet hands come close to the hearing aids several times a day. A short, steady routine helps:

Take the hearing aids out before you start. Do it in a dry place, not over the basin.
Put them straight into their case or a dry, clean pouch, never loose on the edge of a sink where they can fall into water.
Dry your ears and hands with a towel after wudu. Water left in the ear canal or on the outer ear can move onto the hearing aid.
Put the hearing aids back in once your ears and fingers feel dry.

Many people at the mosque keep a small hard case in a pocket for this moment. If you pray at work or while travelling, a spare case in your bag or car (away from direct sun) makes the routine easier.

If you have questions about religious rulings related to wearing a hearing aid during worship, ask a qualified scholar. This article covers only the care of the device.

Showers and bathing

Take your hearing aids out before showering or bathing, and also before ghusl.
Do not leave them in the bathroom. Steam from a hot shower raises the humidity in the room, so store them in another room.
Put them back in after your hair and ears are dry.
Apply hair spray, perfume and other sprays before you put your hearing aids in, so the spray does not land on the microphones. NIDCD advises avoiding hair care products while wearing hearing aids.

Swimming, the pool and the sea

Remove your hearing aids before swimming, whether in a pool or the sea. Chlorinated water, salt water and sand are all hard on small electronics. Store them in their case in a shaded bag, not on a hot towel in direct sun, and think about who you will need to hear at the beach, such as children in the water, before you take them out.

If you swim often, mention it at your appointment. Your audiologist can talk through how to manage your hearing around water, and whether ear protection for swimming is something to discuss with your doctor.

Rain and humid days

Rain in Oman is not frequent, but it can be heavy when it comes. An IP68 rating helps here, but a hat, a hood or an umbrella is still sensible. If your hearing aids get splashed, wipe them with a soft dry cloth as soon as you can.

Humidity and sweat are covered in detail in our article on hearing aids in heat, sweat and humidity, including drying and storage habits for the summer months.

What to do if your hearing aid gets wet

Act quickly and calmly:

Take it out of your ear and turn it off.
If it uses a zinc-air battery, open the battery door and remove the battery. For a rechargeable model, do not put it into the charger while it is wet.
Wipe it gently with a soft dry cloth, including the microphone openings and the part in the ear.
Let it dry naturally in a dry place. Do not use a hair dryer, an oven or a microwave, because heat can damage it.
Try it again once it is fully dry. If the sound is weak, crackling or absent, our hearing aid troubleshooter can help you check the basics.
Contact the clinic if it still does not work properly.

Remember that hearing aids dropped into liquids are not covered by our warranty, so it is worth bringing the hearing aid in for a check rather than trying to open or repair it yourself.

The warranty and water

Every Danavox hearing aid from Jordan Hearing & Speech comes with a one-year warranty from the date of purchase. It covers manufacturing defects and maintenance, with a periodic visit every three months that includes a hearing test (audiogram), programming and free maintenance. It does not cover breakage, misuse, cut wires or hearing aids dropped into liquids. The condition is that the hearing aids are not programmed at another hearing centre and no repair is attempted by a technician outside our centre.

The three-monthly visits are a good moment to have the hearing aids checked for signs of moisture, as part of the maintenance included in those visits.

Choosing hearing aids with water in mind

If your days involve a lot of water, tell your audiologist during your Danavox hearing aid fitting. Practical points to discuss include:

How often you remove and reinsert your hearing aids, for example five times a day for wudu. A style that is easy for you to handle matters.
Rechargeable or battery models. Rechargeable models avoid opening a battery door with wet fingers; battery models let you remove the battery quickly if the hearing aid gets wet.
The microphone filters. Astro Core, Astro Pro and Astro Pro SP list exchangeable microphone filters.

The final choice depends on your hearing test results, your ears and your routine.

When to see a doctor

See a doctor if you have ear pain, discharge or a blocked feeling after swimming, and ask when it is safe to wear your hearing aid again. A sudden drop in hearing, especially in one ear, needs urgent medical care the same day.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make wudu while wearing my hearing aids?

It is better to take them out first. Water and wet hands near the ears can reach the microphones and the part in the ear. Keep them in their case during wudu and put them back once your ears are dry.

Can I swim with IP68 hearing aids?

IP68 means resistance to dust and water, not that a hearing aid is made for swimming. Remove your hearing aids before swimming in a pool or the sea.

Is a hearing aid that fell in water covered by the warranty?

No. Our warranty does not cover hearing aids dropped into liquids, as well as breakage, misuse and cut wires. Bring the hearing aid in for a check anyway, so we can advise you.

Can I use a hair dryer to dry a wet hearing aid?

No. Heat can damage a hearing aid. Wipe it with a soft dry cloth, remove the battery if it has one, and let it dry naturally.

Book an appointment

If water is part of your daily routine, book an appointment at Jordan Hearing & Speech in Bousher, Muscat, or call or WhatsApp +968 9171 8373. No referral is needed for a hearing test, and your audiologist can plan your Danavox hearing aid fitting around how you live.

Sources

NIDCD (NIH) — Hearing aids
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital — How to care for hearing aids
Danavox product portfolio, as published in our hearing aids catalogue on this site.

This article is general information and does not replace advice from a qualified professional.

Hearing Aid Selection, Fitting, Programming & Follow-up