Caring for your hearing aids probably seems simple enough. After all, you were probably given a set of care guidelines when you originally purchased your devices. In regard to routine hearing aid maintenance, the majority of hearing specialists will give you a step-by-step instruction tutorial. But it’s quite likely that you may forget some of that information that you got all at once. So you could still have questions like, how often should I clean my hearing aid? Or, how frequently should I have my hearing aid serviced? How can I get the most life from 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 let your hearing aids get wet
Moisture and electronics don’t really get along that well. Hearing aids are slightly water resistant but aren’t at all waterproof, so they need to be kept as dry as possible. Beyond the obvious, this means you should do things like the following:
- Find a cool and dry place to keep your hearing aids when you aren’t using them. Many people wonder what the best way to store hearing aids is. So the steamy bathroom isn’t going to be a great place to keep your hearing aids. It also helps to store them in the same spot every day so you’re not wondering where you put them. Also, cats love to play with hearing aids and dogs will sometimes attempt to eat them, so don’t just leave them lying about.
- When you have your hearing aids in your ears, avoid using hair care products. When you’re going to use hair spray or gel, remove your hearing aids. Your hearing aid can really get gunked up from these kinds of products.
- Keep a dehumidifier running during those more humid months. Even inside, high humidity means your hearing aids may be more damp more often. And that moisture can compromise the sensitive electronics inside. Prolonging hearing aid life may mean keeping that dehumidifier running.
Tip #2: Keep the earwax filters nice and clean
The human body normally produces earwax in a healthy way. Hearing aid makers are well aware of this. Most modern hearing aids have features that are designed to manage a moderate earwax production.
It’s up to you to be sure there isn’t too much earwax on your hearing aids. This means inspecting and replacing the wax guards when necessary (and making that part of your hearing aid cleaning schedule). You can purchase and use specialized cleaning tools for this, depending on what model you have (ask us for guidance here).
How frequently should wax guards be swapped? You will change these wax guards around once every month on the majority of models.
Tip #3: Keep your batteries charged and fresh
Your Hearing aids count on your batteries for power. 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 shut off your devices when you aren’t using them. Or else, your battery will just sit there and drain. Consequently, when you need your hearing aids the most, they may not be charged enough to function.
- 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.
- Invest in a rechargeable device or a battery charger: That way, you won’t be throwing batteries (and money) away over and over again.
Tip #4: Wash your hands before handling your hearing aids
Most of the time, you should be wearing your hearing aids. But they don’t get there on their own. Your hands (which are required in order to handle your hearing aids) could be covered in all sorts of offending substances. By design, hearing aids are really sensitive and probably won’t do well with things like crumbs.
Generally, you should only touch your hearing aids with clean 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
You may think that you won’t need any assistance from us once you’ve purchased your hearing aids. Generally, though, this isn’t the case. Most people 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?
Sometimes, something could go wrong (maybe you accidentally step on them) despite your best effort. When this happens, you should contact us as quickly as possible.
If your device needs any repairs, or you need a new one, we can help with that.
Want to speak with us about your next set of hearing aids? Make an appointment today!