Taking care of your hearing aids probably feels simple enough. After all, you were probably given a set of care instructions when you originally bought your devices. The majority of hearing specialists will give you a step-by-step how-to in regard to regular hearing aid maintenance. Still, getting that much information at once means you probably didn’t remember some of it. So you could still have questions like, how frequently should I clean my hearing aid? Or, how often should I have my hearing aid serviced? How can I make my hearing aids last as long as possible?
These five, simple-to-follow tips can help give you some answers, as well as simple ways to help in taking care of your hearing aids so they function better longer.
Tip #1: Try not to let your hearing aids get wet
Electronics usually don’t do well with wetness. Even though your hearing aids may provide a certain amount of water resistance, you typically want to keep moisture away from them. Here are a few ways to do just that:
- Keep a dehumidifier running during those more humid months. Even indoors, high humidity means your hearing aids could be more damp more often. And the fragile electronics inside of your device will be compromised. If you want to get the most longevity out of your hearing aid as possible, get that dehumidifier running!
- Avoid using hair products while your hearing aids are in. When you’re going to utilize hair spray or gel, remove your hearing aids. Your hearing aid can really become gunked up from these kinds of products.
- Find a dry and cool spot to keep your hearing aids when you’re not wearing them. Understanding the best way to store your hearing aids can be somewhat of a challenge for lots of individuals. So the steamy bathroom isn’t going to be a very good place to store your hearing aids. It also helps to keep them in the same spot every day so you’re not 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 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. Hearing aid makers are well aware of this. Consequently, most hearing aids are created to deal with a modest amount of earwax.
It’s up to you to be sure there’s not too much earwax on your hearing aids. So make changing out your wax guard, when needed, a regular element of your cleaning regimen. Depending on which model hearing aid you have, you can get specialized little tools for this and we can help you with that.
How often should wax guards be swapped? Well, for the majority of models, it will be about once every month or so.
Tip #3: care for the batteries
Your batteries keep your hearing aids going. Your hearing aid will last much longer if you keep your batteries fresh. So there are a few battery-care steps you can take:
- Get a battery charger or a rechargeable hearing aid: That way, you won’t be chucking batteries (and money) away over and over again.
- Keep all of the contact points on the battery clean and dry. If they are dirty or wet, you can use a clean, dry cloth to wipe them. As with most electronics, moisture will lead to a bad time here.
- When you’re not using your hearing aids, don’t forget to switch the power off. Otherwise, your battery will just sit there and drain. And that means your hearing aids might quit working when you least want them to.
Tip #4: Wash 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 hands to put your hearing aids in, and those hands 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 exactly very good for them.
It’s essential that you don’t handle your hearing aids with dirty hands. So before you put in or take out your hearing aids, give your hands a quick wash.
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. Generally, though, this is not the situation. Here are several very good reasons why scheduling regular appointments with us is still significant.:
- Cleaning and maintenance.
- Keep an eye on the status of your hearing loss (making sure it isn’t progressing quicker than expected).
- To help you adjust your fit.
What should you do when something breaks?
Occasionally, despite your best efforts, something goes wrong with your hearing aids (maybe you accidentally step on them). You should call us as soon as possible in situations like this.
We will be able to help you fix your devices, or get new ones if necessary.
Want to talk to us about your next pair of hearing aids? Set up an appointment today!