It most likely seems like a simple thing to take care of your hearing aids. When you initially obtained your hearing aids, you most likely got a set of care instructions, after all. With regard to regular hearing aid maintenance, the majority of hearing specialists will give you a step-by-step instruction tutorial. Still, getting that much information at once means you most likely didn’t retain some of it. So you may still have questions like, how often should I clean my hearing aid? How about my service schedule? How can I get the most life out of my hearing aids?
If you want to keep your hearing aids in tip-top working order, look at the following tips.
Tip #1: Keep your hearing aids dry
Electronics usually don’t like moisture. Although your hearing aids might offer a certain level of water resistance, you generally want to keep them dry. Here are several ways to do just that:
- When you have your hearing aids in your ears, 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 running during those more humid months. When it’s very humid, your hearing aids can have more dampness than you would want even inside. And that dampness can compromise the sensitive electronics inside. If you want to get the most life out of your hearing aid as you can, get that dehumidifier going!
- Find a dry and cool spot to keep your hearing aids when you’re not wearing them. Many individuals wonder what the best way to store hearing aids is. Well, don’t, for instance, keep them in your bathroom (which gets nice and steamy at least once a day). And in order to keep track of your hearing aids, store them in the same spot every day. In the same way, don’t leave your hearing aids just lying around, dogs like to eat them and cats like to play with them!
Tip #2: Check (and clean) those earwax filters
Earwax production is a healthy and normal thing for the human body to do. It’s also something that hearing aid makers know is going to occur. Most contemporary hearing aids have features that are designed to manage a moderate earwax production.
It’s up to you to be sure there’s not too much earwax on your hearing aids. This means checking and swapping the wax guards when necessary (and making that part of your hearing aid cleaning schedule). Depending on which model hearing aid you have, you can invest in specialized little tools for this and we can help you with that.
How often should wax guards be replaced? Well, for most models, it will be around once every month or so.
Tip #3: Keep your batteries charged and fresh
Your Hearing aids rely on your batteries for power. Your hearing aid will last much longer if you keep your batteries fresh. The following are a few tips for battery care:
- Keep all of the contact points on the battery clean and dry. You can wipe them down with a clean cloth if they aren’t. This is yet another place in your device where moisture is the enemy.
- Invest in a rechargeable device or a battery charger: This will save you a lot of money on wasted batteries.
- Remember to switch off your devices when you aren’t wearing them. Or else, your battery will just sit there and drain. And that means your hearing aids may stop working when you really need them.
Tip #4: Only use clean hands to handle your devices
Most of the time, you should be wearing your hearing aids. But they don’t get there on their own. You use your hands to put in your hearing aids, 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 very good for them.
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 Stay in touch with your hearing specialist
It may seem like, once you have your hearing aids, you can leave your hearing specialist in the dust. Usually, though, this is not the case. Most people with hearing loss will want to schedule routine appointments with us for the following reasons:
- To help you ensure your devices fit well.
- Cleaning and maintenance.
- Keep an eye on the status of your hearing loss (making certain it’s not advancing faster than expected).
When something breaks, what should you do?
Sometimes, something could go wrong (maybe you accidentally step on them) despite your best effort. You should call us as soon as possible in cases 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 discuss your current or next set of hearing aids.