Spring into Better Hearing: How Warmer Weather Affects Your Ears

As the seasons change and spring arrives, many people embrace the warmer weather by spending more time outdoors. However, spring can bring unique challenges for those with hearing loss or hearing aids. From seasonal allergies to increased humidity, understanding how these factors affect your hearing health can help you enjoy the season with ease.

Seasonal Allergies and Hearing Loss

Spring is notorious for high pollen counts, which can trigger allergic reactions like congestion, sinus pressure, and inflammation. These issues can affect the Eustachian tube, which connects your middle ear to the back of your throat. When the Eustachian tube is blocked due to allergies, it can lead to:

• Muffled hearing
• Ear pressure or fullness
• Temporary hearing loss

Tip: If you struggle with allergy-related ear issues, managing your allergies with antihistamines or nasal sprays (as recommended by your doctor) may help relieve pressure and restore clearer hearing.

Increased Humidity and Hearing Aids

Springtime often brings increased humidity, which can cause moisture buildup inside hearing aids. This can lead to:

• Reduced sound quality
• Shortened battery life
• Internal damage to sensitive electronic components

Tips to protect your hearing aids from humidity:

• Store them in a drying case or dehumidifier overnight.  At Sonotone, we offer several dehumidifiers.  Ask Jacki which one she recommends for your set.
• Keep extra hearing aid batteries on hand in case of moisture-related battery drain.
• Use a soft, dry cloth to wipe them down daily.

 Outdoor Activities and Wind Noise

Spring encourages more time outdoors, whether it’s hiking, biking, or simply enjoying a walk in the park. However, wind can create unwanted noise interference in hearing aids, making conversations and natural sounds harder to hear.

Some tops to reduce wind noise:

• Use hearing aids with wind noise reduction features (many modern models have this built-in).
•  Wear a hat or headband to shield your hearing aids from direct wind exposure.
• Position yourself with your back to the wind during conversations.

Rediscover the Sounds of Spring

One of the joys of better hearing in spring is experiencing natures sound, the chirping of birds, rustling leaves, and gentle breezes. If you’ve been missing out on these sounds due to hearing loss, now is the perfect time to schedule a hearing test or hearing aid adjustment.

Just call our Bridgeport office at (740) 635-1535 or the Barnesville office at (740) 619-0331

We will be glad to answer your questions and perform a no-obligation hearing evaluation on you!