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Moisture Blocking Sound in Hearing Aids

by Neil Bauman, Ph.D.

A mother wrote:

A few weeks ago my son’s digital hearing aid stopped working and he got very upset because he was in the middle of exams and didn’t want to have to send the aid away for repairs just then. I wangled a emergency appointment for that night with the audiologist. After he listened to my son’s recounting of how the hearing aid was(n’t) working, he broke into a relaxed grin and said that he knew exactly what the problem was. The ear hook, although we couldn’t see this, was filled with condensation. He changed the ear hook, and the aid has worked perfectly ever since.

He gave my son some extra ear hooks, to replace future condensation filled ones. Last week, my son had to replace the other aids’ ear hook. The audiologist said that the need for ear hook replacement was common. I know that neither set of my son’s analog aids, used over the course of 6 years needed this, so maybe this is the future for digital aids.

Normally condensation builds up in the tubes—suddenly forms a drop and wham—the sound shuts down instantly. When this happens, you just remove the tube from the ear hook and blow the moisture out, put it back together and you’re back in business. only takes a minute.

Like you, I’ve never had problems with moisture blocking regular ear hooks. But even if it ever did, I’d just take the ear hook off and blow it out and be back in business.

However, problems arise if the ear hooks have filters built into them. These filters collect moisture and do indeed block hearing. I had one set like this. When they blocked, I just destroyed the filters by pushing a needle through them. (I think your son’s ear hooks may have filters in them.)

After that, I used to use tiny foam filters in the top of my tubes instead. When they filled with moisture, I’d blow the filter out and put a new one in. This is easier than having to carry spare hooks (and cheaper too). Even if you don’t have your spare filters handy just blowing out the moisture-filled one gives you hearing back for the rest of the day until you get home and replace the filter. (These filters are free from your audiologist—at least mine were.)

In order to help prevent such problems it is a good idea to put your hearing aids in a jar of dessicant each night or use the Dry-n-Store, which not only evaporates the moisture, but also uses unltaviolet light to kills “bugs” on the earmold which greatly reduces ear canal infections.

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Free Visor Cards

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Loop Systems

Loop your home or meeting room. Discover how you can hear wonderfully clear sound again when listening to the TV/radio, etc, or when listening to a speaker at a meeting.

Loop systems are one of the best-kept secrets in town. To learn more about Loop Systems and what they can do for you, click here.

Take Control of Your Tinnitus—Here’s How

If your ears ring, buzz, chirp, hiss, click or roar, you know just how annoying tinnitus can be. You do not have to put up with this racket for the rest of your life. This book teaches you many things you can do to help bring your tinnitus under your control so it no longer bothers you.

Learn More | Add to Cart—Printed | Add to Cart—eBook

Sounds Now Too Loud for You?

Hypersensitive to Sound front coverIf some (or all) normal sounds seem so loud they “blow the top of your head off”, or make you wince or jump, or cause you headaches or ear pain, or affect your balance, or result in fear or annoyance of sounds so you feel you have to avoid these sounds, this book is for you!

Learn More | Add to Cart—Printed | Add to Cart—eBook

Hearing Phantom Sounds?

When hard of hearing people begin hearing phantom voices or music, they immediately worry they are going crazy. It never crosses their minds that they are sane and are just experiencing Musical Ear syndrome.

To learn more about the strange phantom sounds of Musical Ear syndrome and what you can do about them, click here to read a comprehensive article about Musical Ear Syndrome.

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Center for Hearing Loss Help

Neil G. Bauman, Ph.D.

1013 Ridgeway Drive, Lynden,
WA 98264-1057 USA

Email: neil@hearinglosshelp.com

Phone: 360-778-1266 (M-F 9:00 AM-5:00 PM PST)

© 2025 Center for Hearing Loss Help – Help for your hearing loss, tinnitus and other ear conditions

"The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life [which also includes perfect hearing] through Jesus Christ our Lord." [Romans 6:23]

"But know this, in the last days perilous times will come" [2 Timothy 3:1]. "For there will be famines, pestilences, and [severe] earthquakes in various places" [Matthew 24:7], "distress of nations, the sea and the waves roaring"—tsunamis, hurricanes—Luke 21:25, but this is good news if you have put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, for "when these things begin to happen, lift up your heads [and rejoice] because your redemption draws near" [Luke 21:28].