It most likely feels like a simple thing to care for your hearing aids. After all, you were probably given a set of care instructions when you first bought your devices. With regard to routine 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 could still have questions like, how frequently should I clean my hearing aid? How about my service schedule? How can I make my hearing aids last as long as possible?
If you want to keep your hearing aids in tip-top working order, check out the following tips.
Tip #1: Try not to allow your hearing aids to get wet
Electronics usually don’t like moisture. Although your hearing aids might provide a certain level of water resistance, you generally want to keep them dry. Beyond the obvious, this means you should do things like the following:
- Keep your hearing aids someplace dry and cool. Many people wonder what the best way to store hearing aids is. So the steamy bathroom isn’t going to be a very good place to keep your hearing aids. And in order to keep track of your hearing aids, keep them in the same spot every day. Also, cats like to play with hearing aids and dogs will sometimes try to eat them, so don’t just leave them lying about.
- Keep a dehumidifier going during those more humid months. When it’s really humid, your hearing aids can have more moisture than you would want even inside. And that dampness can compromise the sensitive electronics inside. If you want to get the most longevity out of your hearing aid as possible, get that dehumidifier running!
- Avoid using hair products while you’re wearing your hearing aids. That is, take your hearing aids out before utilizing a lot of hair spray or hair gel. Your hearing aid can really get gunked up from these kinds of products.
Tip #2: Check (and clean) those earwax filters
The human body naturally produces earwax in a healthy way. Hearing aid manufacturers are well aware of this. Most contemporary hearing aids include features that are created to manage a modest earwax production.
It’s up to you to make sure there’s not too much earwax on your hearing aids. This means inspecting and replacing the wax guards when necessary (and making that an element of your hearing aid cleaning program). Depending on which model hearing aid you have, you can invest in specialized little tools for this and we can assist you with that.
How often should wax guards be swapped? You will change 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 better your hearing aid batteries are, the longer your device will last. So there are several battery-care steps you can take:
- Invest in a rechargeable hearing aid or a battery charger: That way, you won’t be chucking batteries (and money) away again and again .
- 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 most electronics, moisture will result in a bad time here.
- When you’re not wearing your hearing aids, don’t forget to switch the power off. Or else, your battery will just sit there and drain. Consequently, when you most need your hearing aids, they may not be charged enough to function.
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 don’t get there on their own. You use your fingers 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 sensitive devices by design, so crumbs aren’t exactly great for them.
Generally, you should only handle your hearing aids with clean hands. So give your hands a quick clean before you have to take them out and handle them.
Tip #5 Keep us in the loop
It might feel like, once you purchase your hearing aids, you can just forget all about your hearing specialist. Usually, though, this isn’t the case. Here are a number of very good reasons why scheduling regular appointments with us is still important.:
- To help you calibrate your fit.
- Keep an eye on the status of your hearing loss (making sure it isn’t advancing faster than expected).
- Cleaning and maintenance.
What should you do when something breaks?
Sometimes, despite your best efforts, something goes wrong with your hearing aids (perhaps you accidentally step on them). You should get in touch with us as soon as you can in situations like this.
If your device needs any repairs, or you need a new one, we can help with that.
Want to speak with us about your next set of hearing aids? Schedule an appointment today!