Quick Take: Key Points
Sweating with Hearing Aids
Sweating while wearing hearing aids can happen for a few different reasons. Usually, a mix of good hygiene, the right materials, and sometimes a doctor's help can sort things out. If you're still having a lot of trouble with it, it's a good idea to chat with your hearing aid specialist or doctor.
What You Can Do About Sweating When Wearing Behind-the-Ear Hearing Aids
For many hearing aid users, their device is their auditory connection to the outside world, a real boost for communication. In many places, behind-the-ear (BTE) devices are especially common. These hearing aids sit snugly behind the ear. They're connected by a thin tube to an earmold that fits inside the ear.
When you sweat a lot around your head, your hearing aid is at risk. This can happen during sports or in hot weather.
People who already sweat excessively, a condition called hyperhidrosis, in the hairless areas of their head often also sweat behind their ears. Wearing a hearing aid makes this worse. The constant, close contact with the plastic of the hearing aid often increases sweat production.
Protecting Your Hearing Aid
Sweating behind the ears is a particular problem for hearing aid users because these sensitive electronic devices don't like moisture. But they also have openings for the microphone and speaker, which can let in water droplets and especially humid air. This can lead to permanent damage, or at least the hearing aid will stop working temporarily. For hearing aids that have gotten damp, there are drying devices available that can fix the problem if it happens.
You can buy special coated hearing aids that keep moisture out. These devices are relatively expensive, but they can be very helpful for sporty hearing aid users and people who sweat a lot on their heads.
For people whose sweat doesn't come from behind the ears but just runs down there, sweatbands can be helpful. These should be made of an absorbent fabric that's also easy to wash. Terry cloth is a good choice.
To reduce sweating, you can use antiperspirants. For your head, you should use products specifically made for the scalp. Special antiperspirants for hairless scalps are applied to clean, dry skin in the evening. The salts they contain narrow the sweat gland openings and reduce sweat production. These antiperspirants are available in different strengths.
Make sure the antiperspirant liquid doesn't get into your ears. Apply it only around the outside to prevent sweat from getting into your ear.
Erstmals publiziert am: 12.05.2011
Aktualisiert: 27.05.2025