How To Care For Your Hearing Aids

Hearing aids are a huge investment, so you’ll want to make sure that yours are clean and well-maintained. Taking good care of your hearing aids will help you to ensure that they are always functioning as they should be, and it will also help you to prolong their lifespan. If you want to stay connected to the world, then here’s how you prolong your hearing aid’s performance.

Clean them Properly

The first thing that you need to do is make sure that you are cleaning them properly. Use a soft and dry cloth and also make sure that you remove any dirt and grime. Never use a cleaning agent, alcohol or a solvent. If you do, then you may find that you end up damaging your hearing aid over time and this is the last thing you need. Your audiologist will be able to show you how to clean your hearing aids properly to keep them long-lasting.

Use the Right Cleaning Tools

When you first pick up your hearing aids, you may be given a very small brush that you can use to clean them. You need to use the brush to go over the microphone port and remove any loose wax. Earwax can easily accumulate at the opening of your hearing aid and when this happens, it can cause the sounds that you hear to become muffled. You may also experience a lot of feedback or whistling. Using a pick and brush will clear the wax away and it will restore full function to your device.

Avoid Moisture

When hearing aids become exposed to moisture or liquid, it can cause a lot of damage. Although a lot of devices are now water-resistant, you should still take the time to remove them when you shower or when you go swimming. If you don’t then you may find that they wear out faster. If it is raining very hard outside, you may want to remove your hearing aid for this reason as well so be mindful of that if you can. If you use a lot of hairsprays or gel it is wise to take out your hearing aids while you apply it.

Change the Filter

If you have a more modern hearing aid you may notice that it comes with a wax filter. The main thing you need to know about this filter is that it stops the wax in your ear from accessing the inner part of your hearing aid. Over time this can cause damage. If you want to maintain your hearing aids then you need to periodically replace the wax guard, while removing wax from the device itself. If you can do this, you will soon find that it is easier than ever for you to stop build-up from occurring.

Develop Good Habits

It is so important that you develop good habits and that you take your hearing aids out every single night. You also need to make sure that you store them somewhere that is dry and cool. Depending on your general level of activity, you may want to use a dehumidifier. If you can make sure that you use this at night or during the summer months, you may be able to lower the amount of moisture that comes into contact with your hearing aid.

Watch your Batteries

Your hearing aid will run on batteries, whether its rechargeable or regular batteries. Make sure you always have spare batteries on you in case they are low on battery. Make sure you are storing your batteries in a safe spot, away from direct sunlight.

Leave them to Dry

If you notice that your hearing aids are getting wet often then you may not be able to stop this, but you can take steps to make sure that you dry them properly. One thing you can do is make sure that you remove the battery as soon as you can and that you leave the hearing aid out to dry before you try and wear it again. If you are having any trouble or have questions, make sure to speak with your audiologist.

Handle with Care

Sure, hearing aids are more durable than they once were but you should still handle them with care. Hold them properly so you can avoid dropping them. When you change the batteries, put them on a soft surface and when you aren’t using them, put them in a safe, secure place. If you want to learn more then be sure to call Adirondack Audiology at (888) 347-5899!