It probably seems like a simple thing to care for your hearing aids. After all, you were probably given a set of care instructions when you originally purchased your devices. 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 still may be wondering, what should my cleaning schedule look like? Or, how frequently should I get my hearing aid serviced? How can I make my hearing aids last as long as I can?
If you want to keep your hearing aids in good working order, check out the following tips.
Tip #1: Try not to let your hearing aids get wet
Electronics typically don’t do well with wetness. Hearing aids are slightly water resistant but aren’t at all waterproof, so they should be kept as free from moisture as possible. Beyond the obvious, this means you need to do things like the following:
- Don’t use hair products while your hearing aids are in. When you’re going to use hair spray or gel, take out your hearing aids. Your hearing aid can really get gunked up from these types of products.
- Keep a dehumidifier running during those more humid months. When it’s extremely humid, your hearing aids can have more moisture than you would want even indoors. And the delicate electronics inside of your device can be damaged. Prolonging hearing aid life may mean keeping that dehumidifier running.
- Find a dry and cool spot to store your hearing aids when you’re not using them. Understanding the best way to store your hearing aids can be a bit of a challenge for many individuals. Well, don’t, for instance, store them in your bathroom (which gets really steamy at least once every day). And in order to keep track of your hearing aids, keep them in the same spot every day. In the same way, don’t leave your hearing aids just lying around, dogs love to eat them and cats love to play with them!
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 designers understand is going to occur. The majority of contemporary hearing aids include features that are created to manage a moderate earwax production.
Your job is to be certain your hearing aids don’t become inundated with ear wax. So make swapping out your wax guard, when necessary, a routine element of your cleaning schedule. Depending on which model hearing aid you have, you can get specialized little tools for this and we can assist you with that.
How often should wax guards be replaced? Well, for the majority of models, it will be around once a month or so.
Tip #3: Keep your batteries charged and fresh
Your Hearing aids depend on your batteries for power. Your hearing aid will last a lot longer if you keep your batteries fresh. So there are several battery-care steps you can take:
- Get a battery charger or a rechargeable hearing aid: That way, you won’t be throwing batteries (and money) away over and over again.
- Be sure all of the battery contacts and components are 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.
- Remember to shut off your hearing aids when you aren’t wearing them. Or else, your battery will just sit there and drain. And that means your hearing aids may stop working when you least want them to.
Tip #4: Clean your hands before handling your hearing aids
Most of the time, your hearing aids should be in your ears. 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 substances. Your hearing aids are sensitive devices by design, so crumbs aren’t exactly great for them.
In general, you should only touch your hearing aids with clean hands. So give your hands a quick wash before you have to take them out and handle them.
Tip #5 Stay in touch with your hearing specialist
It might feel like, once you have your hearing aids, you can just forget all about your hearing specialist. But… this is not normally correct. Most individuals who have hearing loss will want to make routine appointments with us for the following reasons:
- Cleaning and maintenance.
- To help you calibrate your fit.
- Check the status of your hearing loss (making sure it isn’t progressing faster than expected).
When something breaks, what should you do?
Occasionally, despite your best efforts, something goes wrong with your hearing aids (maybe you accidentally step on them). When this takes place, you should get in touch with us as quickly as you can.
We will be able to help you fix your devices, or get new ones if necessary.
Schedule an appointment with us today to talk about your current or next set of hearing aids.