It most likely feels like a simple thing to take care of your hearing aids. When you initially obtained your hearing aids, you probably got a set of care guidelines, after all. The majority of hearing specialists will give you a step-by-step how-to when it comes to routine hearing aid maintenance. But it’s quite likely that you might forget some of that information that you got all at once. So you may still have questions like, how frequently should I clean my hearing aid? Or, how often should I get my hearing aid serviced? How can I get the most life out of my hearing aids?
If you want to keep your hearing aids in tip-top working order, look at the following tips.
Tip #1: Try not to allow your hearing aids to get wet
Moisture and electronics don’t really jive. Even though your hearing aids might offer a certain amount of water resistance, you generally want to keep moisture away from them. Here are a few ways to do just that:
- Keep a dehumidifier going during those more humid months. Even inside, high humidity means your hearing aids could be more damp more frequently. And that moisture can compromise the delicate electronics inside. If you want to get the most longevity out of your hearing aid as you can, get that dehumidifier going!
- Store your hearing aids somewhere dry and cool. Understanding the best way to store your hearing aids can be a bit of a challenge for lots of individuals. So the steamy bathroom won’t be a very good place to store your hearing aids. And in order to keep track of your hearing aids, store them in the same spot every day. By the same token, don’t leave your hearing aids just lying about, dogs like to eat them and cats love to play with them!
- Avoid using hair products while your hearing aids are in. That is, remove your hearing aids before using a lot of hair spray or hair gel. Your hearing aid can really get gunked up from these types of products.
Tip #2: Check (and clean) those earwax filters
Earwax production is a healthy and normal thing for the human body to do. It’s also something that hearing aid manufacturers understand is going to take place. Consequently, most hearing aids are created to deal with a moderate amount of earwax.
Your task is to be certain your hearing aids don’t become overwhelmed with ear wax. This means examining and swapping the wax guards when needed (and making that an element of your hearing aid cleaning program). Depending on which model hearing aid you have, you can invest in specialized little tools for this and we can assist you with that.
What is the replacement schedule for earwax guards? You will swap these wax guards approximately once every month on the majority of models.
Tip #3: Keep your batteries charged and fresh
Your batteries keep your hearing aids going. Your hearing aid will last much longer if you keep your batteries fresh. So there are a few battery-care steps you can take:
- Remember to switch off your devices when you aren’t wearing them. This just drains the battery for, well, no good reason. Consequently, when you need your hearing aids the most, they may not be charged enough to function.
- Make sure all of the battery contacts and components are dry. You can wipe them down with a clean cloth if they aren’t. This is yet another place in your device where moisture is the enemy.
- Get a battery charger or a rechargeable hearing aid: This will save you lots of money on wasted batteries.
Tip #4: Clean your hands before handling your hearing aids
Your hearing aids are going to be in your ears most of the time. But they depend on you to put them in. Your hands (which you need to handle your hearing aids) could be covered in all sorts of offending materials. Your hearing aids are sensitive devices by design, so crumbs aren’t exactly very good for them.
In general, you should only handle your hearing aids with clean hands. So give your hands a quick wash before you need to take them out and handle them.
Tip #5 Stay in touch with your hearing specialist
You might assume that you won’t need any assistance from us once you’ve purchased your hearing aids. Generally, though, this is not the situation. Most individuals who have hearing loss will want to make routine appointments with us for the following reasons:
- To track and monitor the development of your hearing loss.
- To help make sure your devices fit well.
- To clean and maintain your hearing aids.
What should you do when something breaks?
Occasionally, something could go wrong (perhaps you accidentally step on them) in spite of your best effort. You should contact us as soon as possible in cases such as this.
We will be able to help you repair your devices, or get a new set if necessary.
Schedule an appointment with us today to talk about your current or next set of hearing aids.
