Caring for your hearing aids likely feels simple enough. After all, you were most likely 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 when it comes to routine hearing aid maintenance. 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? Or, how often should I have my hearing aid serviced? How can I make my hearing aids last as long as I can?
These five, easy-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 work better longer.
Tip #1: Keep your hearing aids dry
Electronics typically don’t like wetness. Hearing aids are somewhat water resistant but are by no means waterproof, so they need to be kept as dry as possible. Here are a few ways to do just that:
- When it’s humid outside, run a dehumidifier. Even inside, high humidity means your hearing aids may be more moist more often. And the fragile electronics inside of your device will be damaged. If you want to get the most life out of your hearing aid as possible, get that dehumidifier going!
- Find a dry and cool place to store your hearing aids when you aren’t using them. Many individuals question what the best way to store hearing aids is. So the steamy bathroom isn’t going to be a great place to store your hearing aids. It also helps to keep them in the same place 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 like to play with them!
- Stay away from using hair products while you’re wearing your hearing aids. When you’re going to use hair spray or gel, take out your hearing aids. These types of products can really gunk up your devices.
Tip #2: Check (and clean) those earwax filters
Earwax production is a healthy and normal thing for the human body to do. Hearing aid manufacturers are well aware of this. Consequently, most hearing aids are designed to deal with a moderate amount of earwax.
It’s up to you to be sure there isn’t too much earwax on your hearing aids. So make swapping out your wax guard, when necessary, a routine part of your cleaning schedule. You can invest in and utilize special cleaning tools for this, depending on what model you have (ask us for recommendations here).
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 Hearing aids depend on your batteries for power. The better your hearing aid batteries are, the longer your device will last. So there are a few battery-care steps you can take:
- Make certain all of the battery contacts and components are dry. If they are dirty or wet, you can use a clean, dry cloth to wipe them. As with electronics in general, moisture will result in a bad outcome here.
- Don’t forget to shut off your devices when you aren’t using them. Or else, your battery will just sit there and drain. And that means your hearing aids may quit working when you least want them to.
- Invest in a rechargeable hearing aid or a battery charger: That way, you won’t be throwing batteries (and money) away over and over again.
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 by themselves. You use your fingers to put in your hearing aids, and those hands could contain all types of things (salt, maple syrup, Cheeto dust, and so on). By design, hearing aids are really sensitive and probably won’t do well with things like crumbs.
It’s important that you don’t touch 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
It may feel like, once you purchase your hearing aids, you can leave your hearing specialist in the dust. But… this is not typically true. Most people with hearing loss will want to schedule regular appointments with us for the following reasons:
- To help you ensure your devices fit well.
- Keep track of the status of your hearing loss (making sure it’s not advancing quicker than expected).
- To clean and maintain your hearing aids.
When something breaks, what should you do?
Occasionally, something could go wrong (maybe you accidentally step on them) in spite of your best effort. You should call us as soon as you can in cases like this.
We will be able to help you fix your devices, or get a new set if necessary.
Want to speak with us about your next pair of hearing aids? Make an appointment today!