Taking care of your hearing aids probably seems simple enough. When you first obtained your hearing aids, you most likely got a set of care instructions, after all. The majority of hearing specialists will give you a step-by-step how-to in regard to regular hearing aid maintenance. But it’s very likely that you might forget some of that information that you got all at once. So you still might be wondering, what should my cleaning routine look like? What about my service schedule? How can I get the most life out of my hearing aids?
These five, simple-to-follow tips can help provide some answers, as well as simple ways to help in maintaining your hearing aids so they work better longer.
Tip #1: Keep your hearing aids dry
Moisture and electronics don’t really jive. Hearing aids are somewhat water resistant but are by no means 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:
- When it’s humid outdoors, run a dehumidifier. Even indoors, high humidity means your hearing aids may be more moist more frequently. And that dampness can compromise the sensitive electronics inside. Prolonging hearing aid life may mean keeping that dehumidifier running.
- Keep your hearing aids somewhere cool and dry. 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 nice and steamy at least once a day). It also helps to keep them in the same spot every day so you aren’t wondering where they went. Also, cats love to play with hearing aids and dogs will sometimes attempt to eat them, so don’t just leave them lying around.
- When you have your hearing aids in your ears, avoid using hair care products. When you’re going to utilize hair spray or gel, take out your hearing aids. These types of products can really gunk up your devices.
Tip #2: Keep the earwax filters nice and clean
The human body normally generates earwax in a healthy way. Hearing aid designers are well aware of this. Most modern hearing aids include features that are designed to cope with a modest earwax production.
Your task is to be certain your hearing aids don’t become inundated with ear wax. So make swapping out your wax guard, when needed, a routine element of your cleaning schedule. 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 Hearing aids rely on your batteries for power. Your hearing aid will last much longer if you keep your batteries fresh. So there are several battery-care steps you can take:
- Remember to switch off your devices when you aren’t wearing them. Otherwise, your battery will just sit there and drain. And that means your hearing aids could stop working when you least want them to.
- Be sure all of the battery contacts and components are dry. You can wipe them down with a clean cloth if they aren’t. As with electronics in general, moisture will result in a bad outcome here.
- Invest in a rechargeable hearing aid or a battery charger: This will save you lots of money on wasted batteries.
Tip #4: Only use clean hands to handle your devices
Your hearing aids are going to spend most of their time in your ears. But they don’t get there by themselves. Your hands (which you need to handle your hearing aids) could be covered in all kinds of offending materials. Your hearing aids are sensitive devices by design, so crumbs aren’t really great 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 feel like, once you have your hearing aids, you can just forget all about your hearing specialist. Usually, though, this is not the case. Here are some very good reasons why scheduling regular appointments with us is still important.:
- Cleaning and maintenance.
- Keep an eye on the status of your hearing loss (making certain it’s not advancing faster than expected).
- To help you adjust your fit.
What should you do when something breaks?
Sometimes, something could go wrong (perhaps you accidentally step on them) despite your best effort. You should contact us as soon as possible in cases like this.
If your hearing aid requires any repairs, or you need a new one, we can help with that.
Make an appointment with us today to discuss your current or next set of hearing aids.