Taking care of your hearing aids likely seems easy enough. When you initially obtained your hearing aids, you probably got a set of care guidelines, after all. In regard to regular hearing aid maintenance, the majority of hearing specialists will give you a step-by-step instruction tutorial. Still, getting that much information at once means you most likely didn’t retain some of it. So you could still have questions like, how frequently should I clean my hearing aid? What about my service schedule? How can I get the most life out of my hearing aids?
These five, easy-to-follow tips can help provide some answers, as well as simple ways to help in taking care of your hearing aids so they function better longer.
Tip #1: Try not to let your hearing aids get wet
Moisture and electronics don’t really jive. Hearing aids are slightly water resistant but are by no means waterproof, so they need to be kept as dry as possible. Here are a few ways to do just that:
- When you have your hearing aids in your ears, don’t use hair care products. When you’re going to utilize hair spray or gel, take out your hearing aids. These kinds of products can really gunk up your devices.
- When it’s humid outside, run a dehumidifier. When it’s really humid, your hearing aids can have more dampness than you would want even inside. And that dampness can compromise the sensitive electronics inside. Prolonging hearing aid life may mean keeping that dehumidifier running.
- Find a dry and cool spot to keep your hearing aids when you’re not wearing them. Many individuals wonder what the best way to store hearing aids is. So the steamy bathroom isn’t going to be a very good place to store your hearing aids. It also helps to keep them in the same spot every day so you aren’t wondering where they went. By the same token, don’t leave your hearing aids just lying about, dogs love to eat them and cats like to play with them!
Tip #2: Check (and clean) those earwax filters
The human body naturally generates earwax in a healthy way. It’s also something that hearing aid makers know is going to occur. The majority of contemporary hearing aids incorporate features that are designed to cope with a moderate earwax production.
It’s up to you to make sure there’s not too much earwax on your hearing aids. So make changing out your wax guard, when necessary, a regular part of your cleaning regimen. Depending on which model hearing aid you have, you can invest in specialized little tools for this and we can help you with that.
How often should wax guards be swapped? Well, for most models, it will be about once every month or so.
Tip #3: Take care of the batteries
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:
- Keep all of the contact points on the battery clean and dry. If they are dirty or wet, you can make use of a clean, dry cloth to wipe them. This is yet another place in your device where moisture is the enemy.
- Get a battery charger or a rechargeable hearing aid: That way, you won’t be throwing batteries (and money) away over and over again.
- When you’re not using your hearing aids, don’t forget to switch the power off. This just drains the battery for, well, no good reason. For this reason, when you most need your hearing aids, they may not be charged enough to work.
Tip #4: Only use clean hands to handle your hearing aids
Your hearing aids are going to spend most of their time in your ears. But they don’t get there by themselves. You use your hands to put in your hearing aids, and those hands could contain all kinds of things (salt, maple syrup, Cheeto dust, and so on). Your hearing aids are sensitive devices by design, so crumbs aren’t exactly very good for them.
It’s important that you don’t touch your hearing aids with dirty hands. So before you put in or take out your hearing aids, give your hands a quick cleanse.
Tip #5 Keep us in the loop
It might seem like, once you have your hearing aids, you can leave your hearing specialist in the dust. Usually, though, this is not the situation. Most people with hearing loss will want to schedule regular appointments with us for the following reasons:
- Keep an eye on the status of your hearing loss (making certain it isn’t advancing faster than expected).
- To help you ensure your devices fit well.
- To clean and maintain your hearing aids.
When something breaks, what should you do?
Occasionally, something could go wrong (perhaps you accidentally step on them) despite your best effort. When this takes place, you should get in touch with us as quickly as you can.
If your hearing aid needs any repairs, or you need to get a new one, we can help with that.
Schedule an appointment with us today to talk about your current or next pair of hearing aids.