It probably feels like a simple thing to take care of your hearing aids. After all, you were probably given a set of care instructions when you first bought your devices. In regard to routine hearing aid maintenance, most hearing specialists will give you a step-by-step instruction tutorial. But it’s quite likely that you might forget some of that information that you got all at once. So you may still have questions like, how often should I clean my hearing aid? Or, how often should I get my hearing aid serviced? How can I make my hearing aids last as long as I can?
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 work better longer.
Tip #1: Try not to let your hearing aids get wet
Moisture and electronics don’t really jive. Hearing aids are slightly water resistant but aren’t at all waterproof, so they need to be kept as free from moisture as possible. Here are several ways to do just that:
- When you’re wearing your hearing aids, don’t use hair care products. When you’re going to utilize hair spray or gel, remove your hearing aids. These types of products can really gunk up your devices.
- Keep a dehumidifier going during those more humid months. Even inside, high humidity means your hearing aids might be more damp more frequently. And the delicate electronics inside of your device will be damaged. If you want to get the most longevity out of your hearing aid as you can, get that dehumidifier running!
- Find a dry and cool place to store your hearing aids when you aren’t wearing them. Many individuals wonder what the best way to store hearing aids is. So the steamy bathroom isn’t going to be a very good place to store your hearing aids. And in order to keep track of your hearing aids, store them in the same place every day. Also, cats love to play with hearing aids and dogs will occasionally attempt to eat them, so don’t just leave them lying about.
Tip #2: Keep the earwax filters nice and clean
The human body normally generates earwax in a healthy way. Hearing aid manufacturers are well aware of this. Most modern hearing aids incorporate features that are created to deal with a modest earwax production.
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. You can buy and utilize specialized cleaning tools for this, depending on what model you have (ask us for guidance here).
What is the replacement schedule for earwax guards? You will swap these wax guards around once every month on the majority of 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 a few battery-care steps you can take:
- 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. As with electronics in general, moisture will lead to a bad outcome here.
- When you’re not using your hearing aids, don’t forget to turn them off. Otherwise, your battery will just sit there and drain. Consequently, when you most need your hearing aids, they might not be charged enough to function.
- Get a battery charger or a rechargeable device: This will save you a lot of money on wasted batteries.
Tip #4: Wash your hands before handling your hearing aids
The majority of the time, your hearing aids should be in your ears. But they depend on you to put them in. You use your fingers to put in your hearing aids, and those fingers could contain all types of things (salt, maple syrup, Cheeto dust, and so on). By design, hearing aids are really delicate and likely won’t do well with things like crumbs.
Generally, you should only touch your hearing aids with clean hands. So before you put in or take out your hearing aids, give your hands a quick wash.
Tip #5 Keep up with your hearing specialist
You may assume that you won’t require any help from us once you’ve purchased your hearing aids. But… this is not normally true. Most individuals who have hearing loss will want to schedule routine appointments with us for the following reasons:
- Cleaning and maintenance.
- To help you fine-tune your fit.
- To track and monitor the development of your hearing loss.
When something breaks, what should you do?
Occasionally, something could go wrong (perhaps you accidentally step on them) despite your best effort. When this takes place, you should contact us as quickly as you can.
We will be able to help you repair your devices, or get new ones if necessary.
Schedule an appointment with us today to talk about your current or next set of hearing aids.