Caring for your hearing aids probably seems simple enough. After all, you were probably given a set of care guidelines when you initially purchased your devices. Most hearing specialists will give you a step-by-step how-to in regard to routine hearing aid maintenance. Still, getting that much information at once means you probably didn’t remember some of it. So you may still have questions like, how frequently should I clean my hearing aid? What about my service schedule? 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 easy 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 generally don’t like wetness. While your hearing aids might provide a certain level of water resistance, you typically want to keep moisture away from them. Here are several ways to do just that:
- Store your hearing aids somewhere cool and dry. Many individuals wonder what the best way to store hearing aids is. So the steamy bathroom won’t be a very good place to store your hearing aids. It also helps to keep them in the same place every day so you aren’t trying to figure out where you put them. By the same token, don’t leave your hearing aids just lying around, dogs love to eat them and cats love to play with them!
- Don’t use hair products while your hearing aids are in. That is, remove your hearing aids before utilizing a lot of hair spray or hair gel. These kinds of products can really gunk up your devices.
- When it’s humid outside, run a dehumidifier. Even inside, high humidity means your hearing aids could be more damp more frequently. And that dampness can compromise the sensitive electronics inside. If you want to get the most longevity out of your hearing aid as you can, get that dehumidifier going!
Tip #2: Check (and clean) those earwax filters
The human body naturally generates earwax in a healthy way. It’s also something that hearing aid manufacturers know is going to happen. 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. This means checking and replacing the wax guards when necessary (and making that an element of your hearing aid cleaning routine). Depending on what model hearing aid you have, you can get specialized little tools for this and we can help 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: Keep your batteries charged and fresh
Your batteries keep your hearing aids working. The healthier your hearing aid batteries are, the longer your device will last. So there are a few battery-care steps you can take:
- Keep all of the contact points on the battery dry and clean. You can wipe them down with a clean cloth if they aren’t. As with electronics in general, moisture will lead to a bad time here.
- Invest in a rechargeable device or a battery charger: That way, you won’t be throwing batteries (and money) away over and over again.
- Remember to switch off your devices when you aren’t wearing them. This just drains the battery for, well, no good reason. Because of this, when you most need your hearing aids, they may not be charged enough to function.
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. Your hands (which are required in order to handle your hearing aids) could be covered in all kinds of offending substances. Your hearing aids are delicate devices by design, so crumbs aren’t exactly great for them.
It’s essential 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 presume that you won’t require any help from us once you’ve purchased your hearing aids. But… this isn’t normally correct. Here are some very good reasons why scheduling regular appointments with us is still significant.:
- Keep an eye on the status of your hearing loss (making certain it isn’t progressing quicker than expected).
- To help you ensure your devices fit well.
- Cleaning and maintenance.
When something breaks, what should you do?
Sometimes, in spite of your best efforts, something goes wrong with your hearing aids (maybe you accidentally step on them). You should call us as soon as you can in cases such as this.
We will be able to help you fix your devices, or get new ones if necessary.
Schedule an appointment with us today to discuss your current or next pair of hearing aids.
