It most likely seems like a simple thing to care for your hearing aids. When you initially got your hearing aids, you probably got a set of care guidelines, after all. In regard to routine hearing aid maintenance, most hearing specialists will give you a step-by-step instruction tutorial. Still, getting that much information at once means you most likely didn’t remember some of it. So you still may be wondering, what should my cleaning schedule look like? Or, how often 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, look at the following tips.
Tip #1: Try not to allow your hearing aids to get wet
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. Here are a few ways to do just that:
- Store your hearing aids someplace cool and dry. Knowing the best way to store your hearing aids can be somewhat of a challenge for lots of individuals. Well, don’t, for instance, store them in your bathroom (which gets nice and steamy at least once every day). It also helps to keep them in the same spot every day so you aren’t wondering where you put them. By the same token, don’t leave your hearing aids just lying about, dogs like to eat them and cats like to play with them!
- When you have your hearing aids in your ears, don’t use hair care products. When you’re going to utilize hair spray or gel, take out your hearing aids. These kinds of products can really gunk up your devices.
- Keep a dehumidifier going during those more humid months. Even indoors, high humidity means your hearing aids could be more moist more often. And that moisture can compromise the delicate electronics inside. Prolonging hearing aid life might mean keeping that dehumidifier going.
Tip #2: Keep the earwax filters nice and clean
Earwax production is a healthy and normal thing for the human body to do. It’s also something that hearing aid manufacturers know is going to occur. The majority of modern hearing aids include features that are designed to cope with a modest earwax production.
Your job is to be certain your hearing aids don’t become inundated with ear wax. This means examining and swapping the wax guards when needed (and making that an element of your hearing aid cleaning schedule). Depending on what 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 most models.
Tip #3: Take care of the batteries
Your batteries keep your hearing aids working. The healthier your hearing aid batteries are, the longer your hearing aid will last. The following are some tips for battery care:
- Invest in a rechargeable device or a battery charger: This will save you lots of money on wasted batteries.
- Keep all of the contact points on the battery dry and clean. 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.
- When you’re not wearing your hearing aids, don’t forget to turn them off. This just kills the battery for, well, no good reason. Because of this, when you need your hearing aids the most, they may not be charged enough to work.
Tip #4: Clean your hands before handling your hearing aids
Your hearing aids are going to be in your ears most of the time. But they depend on you to put them in. You use your fingers to put your hearing aids in, and those fingers could contain all types of things (salt, maple syrup, Cheeto dust, and so on). Your hearing aids are delicate devices by design, so crumbs aren’t really very good for them.
It’s important that you don’t touch your hearing aids with dirty hands. So give your hands a quick wash before you have to take them out and handle them.
Tip #5 Keep up with your hearing specialist
It may seem like, once you have your hearing aids, you can just forget all about your hearing specialist. Generally, though, this isn’t the situation. Here are some very good reasons why scheduling routine appointments with us is still relevant.:
- To help you ensure your devices fit well.
- To track and monitor the development of your hearing loss.
- Cleaning and maintenance.
When something breaks, what should you do?
Occasionally, something could go wrong (perhaps you accidentally step on them) in spite of your best effort. You should call us as soon as you can in situations like this.
If your hearing aid requires any repairs, or you need to get a new one, we can help with that.
Schedule an appointment with us today to discuss your current or next set of hearing aids.