It most likely seems like a simple thing to care for your hearing aids. When you first obtained your hearing aids, you probably got a set of care instructions, after all. Most hearing specialists will give you a step-by-step how-to in regard to regular hearing aid maintenance. Still, getting all of that information at once means you most likely didn’t retain some of it. So you might still have questions like, how frequently should I clean my hearing aid? Or, how frequently should I have my hearing aid serviced? How can I get the most life out of my hearing aids?
These five, simple-to-follow tips can help provide some answers, as well as easy ways to help in taking care of your hearing aids so they function better longer.
Tip #1: Keep your hearing aids dry
Electronics typically don’t do well with wetness. Hearing aids are slightly water resistant but aren’t at all waterproof, so they should be kept as dry as possible. Here are a few ways to do just that:
- 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.
- When it’s humid outside, run a dehumidifier. Even inside, high humidity means your hearing aids may be more moist more often. And that dampness can compromise the sensitive electronics inside. Prolonging hearing aid life might mean keeping that dehumidifier running.
- Keep your hearing aids someplace cool and dry. Many people wonder what the best way to store hearing aids is. So the steamy bathroom won’t be a great place to store your hearing aids. It also helps to store them in the same place every day so you aren’t wondering where you put them. Also, cats like to play with hearing aids and dogs will sometimes attempt to eat them, so don’t just leave them lying about.
Tip #2: Check (and clean) those earwax filters
The human body normally generates earwax in a healthy way. Hearing aid designers are well aware of this. The majority of modern hearing aids include features that are created to deal with a modest earwax production.
It’s up to you to make sure there’s not too much earwax on your hearing aids. So make changing out your wax guard, when necessary, a routine part of your cleaning schedule. You can buy and utilize specialized cleaning tools for this, depending on your hearing aid model (ask us for recommendations here).
How often should wax guards be swapped? Well, for most models, it will be around once every month or so.
Tip #3: Keep your batteries charged and fresh
Your batteries keep your hearing aids going. The healthier 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. You can wipe them with a clean cloth if they aren’t. This is yet another part of your device where moisture is the enemy.
- Get a battery charger or a rechargeable device: This will save you a lot of money on wasted batteries.
- Don’t forget to turn off your devices when you aren’t using them. Otherwise, your battery will just sit there and drain. And that means your hearing aids could stop working when you really need them.
Tip #4: Clean your hands before handling your hearing aids
The majority of the time, you should be wearing your hearing aids. But they don’t get there on their own. Your hands (which you need to handle your hearing aids) could be covered in all kinds of offending substances. By design, hearing aids are really delicate and probably won’t do well with things like crumbs.
In general, you should only touch your hearing aids with clean hands. So give your hands a quick wash before you need to take them out and handle them.
Tip #5 Stay in touch with your hearing specialist
You may think that you won’t require any help from us once you’ve purchased your hearing aids. But… this isn’t typically correct. Most people with hearing loss will want to schedule routine appointments with us for the following reasons:
- To clean and maintain your hearing aids.
- To help you ensure your devices fit well.
- To keep track of and monitor the advancement of your hearing loss.
When something breaks, what should you do?
Sometimes, something could go wrong (maybe you accidentally step on them) despite your best effort. You should contact us as soon as possible in situations like this.
If your device needs any repairs, or you need to get a new one, we can help with that.
Schedule an appointment with us today to talk about your current or next set of hearing aids.