It probably seems like a simple thing to take care of your hearing aids. When you first got your hearing aids, you probably got a set of care guidelines, after all. With regard to routine hearing aid maintenance, most hearing specialists will give you a step-by-step instruction tutorial. Still, getting all of that information at once means you probably didn’t retain some of it. So you could still have questions like, how often should I clean my hearing aid? Or, how often should I have my hearing aid serviced? How can I get the most life out of my hearing aids?
If you want to keep your hearing aids in tip-top working order, check out the following tips.
Tip #1: Keep your hearing aids dry
Electronics usually don’t like moisture. Hearing aids are slightly water resistant but are by no means waterproof, so they should be kept as dry as possible. Here are several ways to do just that:
- Store your hearing aids someplace cool and dry. Understanding the best way to store your hearing aids can be a bit of a challenge for lots of individuals. Well, don’t, for example, store them in your bathroom (which gets nice and steamy at least once every day). And in order to keep track of your hearing aids, keep them in the same spot every day. 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!
- Stay away from using hair products while your hearing aids are in. When you’re going to use hair spray or gel, remove your hearing aids. Your hearing aid can really become gunked up from these types of products.
- When it’s humid outside, run a dehumidifier. When it’s really humid, your hearing aids can have more moisture than you would want even inside. And that moisture can compromise the sensitive electronics inside. Prolonging hearing aid life might mean keeping that dehumidifier going.
Tip #2: Check (and clean) those earwax filters
The human body normally generates earwax in a healthy way. It’s also something that hearing aid designers know is going to occur. Most modern hearing aids incorporate features that are created to manage a modest earwax production.
It’s up to you to be sure there isn’t too much earwax on your hearing aids. So make swapping out your wax guard, when necessary, a routine part of your cleaning regimen. You can buy and utilize special cleaning tools for this, depending on your hearing aid model (ask us for guidance here).
How often should wax guards be replaced? You will change these wax guards about once every month on most models.
Tip #3: care for the batteries
Your Hearing aids count on your batteries for power. The healthier your hearing aid batteries are, the longer your hearing aid will last. So there are a few battery-care steps you can take:
- When you’re not wearing your hearing aids, don’t forget to turn them off. This just drains the battery for, well, no good reason. For this reason, when you need your hearing aids the most, they may not be charged enough to function.
- Invest in a rechargeable device or a battery charger: That way, you won’t be chucking batteries (and money) away again and again .
- 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 most electronics, moisture will result in a bad time here.
Tip #4: Wash 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 kinds of offending substances. Your hearing aids are sensitive devices by design, so crumbs aren’t really very good for them.
It’s important that you don’t handle your hearing aids with dirty hands. So give your hands a quick clean before you need to take them out and handle them.
Tip #5 Keep us in the loop
You might think that you won’t need any help from us once you’ve purchased your hearing aids. But… this isn’t usually correct. Most individuals with hearing loss will want to make routine appointments with us for the following reasons:
- To help you ensure your devices fit well.
- Cleaning and maintenance.
- Keep track of the status of your hearing loss (making certain it isn’t progressing faster than expected).
When something breaks, what should you do?
Occasionally, in spite of your best efforts, something goes wrong with your hearing aids (perhaps you accidentally step on them). You should contact us as soon as possible in situations like this.
We will be able to help you repair your devices, or get a new set if needed.
Want to speak with us about your next pair of hearing aids? Set up an appointment today!