Caring for your hearing aids likely feels simple enough. When you initially obtained your hearing aids, you probably got a set of care guidelines, after all. With regard to regular hearing aid maintenance, the majority of hearing specialists will give you a step-by-step instruction tutorial. 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 schedule look like? Or, how frequently should I have 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: Keep your hearing aids dry
Moisture and electronics don’t really get along that well. Hearing aids are slightly water resistant but are by no means waterproof, so they need to be kept as free from moisture as possible. Beyond the obvious, this means you should do things like the following:
- When you have your hearing aids in your ears, avoid using hair care products. That is, remove your hearing aids before utilizing a lot of hair spray or hair gel. Your hearing aid can really get gunked up from these types of products.
- When it’s humid outdoors, run a dehumidifier. Even indoors, high humidity means your hearing aids may be more moist more frequently. And the fragile electronics inside of your device will be damaged. Prolonging hearing aid life might mean keeping that dehumidifier running.
- Keep your hearing aids someplace cool and dry. Many people question what the best way to store hearing aids is. So the steamy bathroom won’t be a great place to keep your hearing aids. It also helps to keep them in the same place every day so you’re not trying to figure out where they went. In the same way, don’t leave your hearing aids just lying about, dogs like to eat them and cats love to play with them!
Tip #2: Keep the earwax filters nice and clean
The human body naturally produces earwax in a healthy way. Hearing aid designers are well aware of this. Most contemporary hearing aids include features that are designed to manage a moderate earwax production.
Your task is to make sure your hearing aids don’t become inundated with ear wax. So make swapping out your wax guard, when necessary, a regular part of your cleaning routine. 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? Well, for most models, it will be around once every month or so.
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. The following are some tips for battery care:
- Invest in a rechargeable device or a battery charger: That way, you won’t be throwing batteries (and money) away over and over again.
- When you’re not wearing your hearing aids, don’t forget to turn them off. Otherwise, your battery will just sit there and drain. And that means your hearing aids could quit working when you least want them to.
- Keep all of the contact points on the battery dry and clean. You can wipe them with a clean cloth if they aren’t. As with electronics in general, moisture will result in a bad time here.
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 depend on you to put them in. Your hands (which you need to handle your hearing aids) could be covered in all kinds of offending materials. By design, hearing aids are very delicate and probably won’t do well with things like crumbs.
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 may feel like, once you have your hearing aids, you can leave your hearing specialist in the dust. But… this is not typically correct. Most individuals who have hearing loss will want to schedule regular appointments with us for the following reasons:
- To clean and maintain your hearing aids.
- To track and monitor the progression of your hearing loss.
- To help you ensure your devices fit well.
When something breaks, what should you do?
Occasionally, something could go wrong (perhaps you accidentally step on them) despite your best effort. When this occurs, you should get in touch with us as quickly as possible.
If your device 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 pair of hearing aids.