Top 5 Hearing Aid Maintenance Tips You Should know
Earwax, dirt, and moisture build up can easily disable your hearing aids if you don’t take adequate care of them. Hearing device maintenance is, fortunately, relatively simple. It can help you get more out of your hearing aids by extending their lifespan, which is between five and seven years. Hence, let’s review the top hearing aid maintenance tips to ensure a long lasting life for your devices.
Clean Your Hearing Aids on a Daily Basis
Dirt, earwax, dust, and moisture build up easily on hearing aids, necessitating daily cleanings. In general, try to clean your device at night so that debris doesn’t have a chance to settle in while your hearing aids are out of your ears. Also make sure to wipe off both the exterior and interior parts of battery components with a soft, dry cloth for the best result. Be attentive not to use water and cleaning products to avoid any unexpected damage to the device.
Keep Your Hearing Aids in a Secure Location
When you take your hearing aids out of your ears, it’s critical to store the device in its case or in another secure location to avoid exposure to moisture, dirt, or dust or damaging them in any other way, as being without your hearing aid(s) while they are in for repairs can be frustrating.
Hence, you can extend the life of your hearing aids and improve their functioning by making safe storage a habit as a primary hearing aid maintenance tip.
Proper Battery Care and Maintenance
Hearing aids with replaceable batteries are designed to be worn every day. The batteries should be replaced regularly. However, hearing aids that are not worn daily, the battery if left inside the battery compartment can become corroded and this may cause the battery contacts and even the components inside the hearing aids to become damaged.
When your hearing aids aren’t being used, make sure the battery doors are always open to turn the devices off. Also, try to remove the batteries from your hearing aids if you won’t be using them for a few days.
Hearing aids with rechargeable batteries also should not be left on the charger for days on end. This will damage the lithium ion batteries inside the devices. If you will not be using these hearing aids, remove them from the charger and use the buttons to turn them off and leave them off the charger.
When Wearing Hearing Aids, Avoid Using Hairspray or Similar Products
It’s advisable to avoid putting perfume, hairspray, or other items on your head when wearing hearing aids. This is due to the fact that these products might get inside your hearing aids and disable them. Instead, simply use these products when you are not wearing hearing aids.
Carefully Handle Your Hearing Aids
A fall might not instantly damage a hearing aid, but sometimes some of the components inside the hearing aid might become dislodged and create a less clear sounding hearing aid. Although most modern hearing aids are durable and long-lasting, it’s still vital to treat them with care. This will prevent damage to the device components or the battery within. When you need to put your hearing aid down for maintenance, ensure it is on a clean, soft surface, such as a fresh towel.
Make Sure Your Hearing Aid Isn’t Immersed in Water
Last but not least , in our list of top hearing aid maintenance tips, always make sure to avoid immersing your hearing aids into water. Although some hearing aids are waterproof, you should not wear them while showering, swimming, or bathing. In addition, you should avoid cleaning your hearing aids with water.
Should your hearing aids get wet, dry them as much as possible with a dry towel or sheet or two or paper towel. Let them dry for several hours. Alternatively, you can use hearing aid drying equipment which uses a mild heat and UV sanitization features. These can be purchased from your local hearing aid clinic: https://www.hearingaidsource.ca/product/perfectdry-lux-dryer/
Schedule Regular Professional Cleanings & Adjustments
It is up to you to keep your hearing aids in good working order through following the hearing aid maintenance tips above. However, professional cleanings for your hearing aids should be scheduled every four to six months. Along with thoroughly cleaning of the devices, a specialist can inspect them for damage and, if necessary, repair them. Professionals should also modify the programming settings on your hearing aids about once a year, to ensure that they are performing at their best and are matched to your specific needs.
Hearing aids are extremely useful devices that can significantly improve a person’s hearing abilities and enhance their lives with better communication. As a result, it’s a good idea to know how to properly care for your hearing aids so that you can avoid the need for repairs. Hence, make sure to follow the above-mentioned hearing aid maintenance tips to make the best use of your hearing aids.
If you have any further questions about your hearing aids make sure to contact one of our professionals.