4 Hearing Aid Care Tips

All hearing aid users deserve to enjoy the benefits of devices that work to their full capabilities. Seeing an audiologist to ensure you have the best product for your needs is key, but it’s equally important to take personal responsibility, especially when it comes to ongoing maintenance.  

Here are four simple tips that are sure to keep your hearing aids working better for longer. Incorporate them today, and you will reap the long-term rewards.

Keep devices cool and dry

Heat and moisture are the two biggest threats to hearing aids. Immediate breaks and long-term deterioration can both be attributed to these issues. This why you must take them seriously. This is especially crucial with regards to overnight storage. A plastic case will often suffice, although those living in humid places may want to look at specialized dehumidifying cases.  

Many modern devices are promoted for their water-resistant properties, but it’s still a good idea to take them off when showering or swimming. If the hearing aid does become wet, wiping it with a towel is the best solution. Using a hairdryer could cause more damage than good.

Avoid earwax buildup

Earwax is naturally another issue that you’ll need to take into consideration. It’s impossible to avoid the build-up period, so you must embrace regular cleaning habits. Use a cotton swab to clean the device at the end of each day, before putting it in its case, and you won’t go far wrong. In turn, your hearing aids should provide better performance levels for a far longer time.

It’s also very important to change the earwax filters on a regular basis. Failure to do this will see any wax missed from daily cleaning slowly work its way to the internal components. Once this happens, the internal parts will become damaged, leading to major problems.

Be gentle

Due to their small size and delicate nature, it’s imperative that you handle the hearing aid devices with care. Ensuring that they are correctly fitted into your ear canal encourages better performance, while also removing the threat of vulnerable pieces breaking. If you are prone to dropping things or suffer from arthritis, it’s worth conducting any maintenance while sitting down at a table. On a separate note, you should take the devices off when using hair sprays and other potentially damaging products.

Pay attention to batteries

Keeping the hearing aids in good working order is one thing, but you also need to ensure that they receive power. Ongoing daily tips like turning devices off when they aren’t in use and keeping the battery door in good health will help. If the hearing aids won’t be used for a few days, removing the batteries completely is key.

Aside from keeping batteries in good condition, you must also replace dead batteries immediately. Failure to do so can result in problems for the internal features of the device. Use this as your platform for maintaining healthy devices, and you’ll gain far greater long-term benefits.