Hearing aids can deteriorate due to earwax, moisture, and dirt buildup without proper care and maintenance. The correct hearing aid maintenance ensures good performance levels, reduces potential daily use issues, prevents frequent breakdowns and repairs, and extends their lifespan. This article outlines five tips for maintaining your hearing aids.
Schedule regular, professional maintenance appointments
Hearing aids need regular maintenance, including cleanings, adjustments, and thorough repairs. While cleaning and caring for your hearing aids at home can significantly boost their health, regular professional cleanings are vital to keep them in proper working condition and improve their performance level. Maintaining your hearing devices may involve changing tubes and wax guards, cleaning receivers, and adjusting sound settings. The aids may also be readjusted and retuned to suit your up-to-date hearing needs.
Get the right tools
With the right hearing aid repair kit, you can try fixing any issues with your device before calling the audiologist. This hearing aid repair kit can troubleshoot common hearing aid issues like intermittent sound, no sound, feedback, static, and improper fit. The kit should contain extra batteries, a portable dryer for the hearing aids, a cleaning brush, battery remover, listening tube, battery tester, forced air blower, drying container for the aids, wax pick, or a multi-tool.
When troubleshooting, check whether the battery is correctly placed, whether it’s still alive, and whether it produces intermittent or no sound. Look at the settings, debris buildup, and moisture and use the right tools for each maintenance task.
Avoid immersing them in water
While most hearing aids are water-resistant, you shouldn’t wear them when showering, swimming, bathing, or cleaning them with water. If water or moisture gets into contact with your hearing aid’s inner components, it could suffer severe or permanent damage. Should your hearing aids get wet, you can dry them gently with a towel, not a hairdryer or other high-heat devices, because they can melt, distort or stop the proper functioning of the components.
Frequently clean the earwax and replace the wax filter
Earwax plays a crucial role in your ear’s health, but it isn’t suitable for electronic devices like hearing aids. If it builds up around your hearing device, its performance may reduce. Your hearing aids will inevitably be exposed to cerumen daily, so consider cleaning them at the end of each day. You can use a soft toothbrush or dry cotton swab to remove the earwax, moisture, oil, and other debris and focus more on the microphone and receiver.
In addition, regularly change the wax filter, which safeguards the device’s internal components from earwax damage. Change the filter each time there’s earwax buildup on it and ensure you have the right wax filter type for your device.
Handle the hearing aids with care
While most modern hearing devices are solid and durable, handling them with care is vital. Every time you hold the hearing aid, remove it, insert it, or clean it, ensure a secure grip to avoid dropping it, preventing potential device or battery damage. When putting your hearing aid down, consider placing it on a clean, dry, and soft surface, such as a fresh towel.
Endnote
Hearing aid maintenance is crucial for the device’s health, performance, and longevity. Use these tips to maintain your hearing aids.
