How to Properly Maintain Your Hearing Aid at Home

If you are experiencing hearing loss, then an audiologist has likely recommended that you try wearing hearing aids. Hearing aids are designed to improve your hearing and your overall quality of life. They can ensure that your hearing receives a significant boost.

They can also help you adapt to certain environments. For instance, some hearing aids have directional mics. This means that they can help you hear noises in a specific direction such as someone sitting next to you. Some hearing aids also provide noise canceling technology, blocking out background noise that can be distracting and will make it more difficult to hear. For your hearing aids to continue to work effectively, however, you need to maintain them the right way. Here are some of the key points to consider when developing your hearing aid maintenance plan. These will help avoid the need for professional hearing aid repairs.

Keep Them Clean

First, you need to make sure that you are keeping your hearing aids clean. This is important regardless of what type of hearing aids you are using. Hearing aids can develop a buildup from earwax and debris that causes them to function poorly. Ears are self-cleaning, so will typically push earwax out to the surface. If you are wearing in-the-ear (ITE) or canal-worn hearing aids, then this earwax can get into the ports and components of your devices. It can also fill the tube connecting two-piece hearing aids.

As we’re going to discuss, you can’t submerge your hearing aids in water. This will likely damage the electronic components. However, you can still keep them clean. You should do this by using a soft cloth and a special brush. You can ask your audiologist about the right brush to use that will provide the actions you need, this typically includes a wax pick and a small, soft brush. Remember to be careful to avoid damaging any of the different parts of the hearing aid.

Keep Them Dry

As mentioned, you cannot submerge your hearing aids in water to clean them. Very few hearing aids available on the market today are waterproof. The best that you can hope for is that your hearing aids are water resistant. This means that you don’t need to worry about wearing your hearing aids when it is raining or them getting sweaty after exercising. However, if you do notice that your hearing aids are damp you should dry them carefully with a towel or cloth. This will help avoid moisture or water damage on different parts of the hearing aids.

Keep Them Safe

Next, you need to ensure that you are keeping your hearing aids properly stored. Hearing aids are designed to be durable and resistant to knocks or drops, but you should still take care to avoid damaging your hearing aids. One of the ways that you can do this is by keeping your hearing aids in their case when they are not in use. Usually, hearing aids will come with a case that you can use to keep them safe. However, if they don’t then you can also buy one separately instead. Cases come in lots of different varieties including bright colors to ensure that they are easy to spot and find.

Learn the Controls

Hearing aids come with instructions. Modern hearing aids will often have many different settings and functions. This means you need to make sure you understand how to switch between the different settings to get the best experience possible. If your hearing aids aren’t working the way they should, then it’s possible that you have accidentally changed one of the settings. Make sure to speak to your audiologist about the controls and how to use your hearing aids the right way – including proper insertion and removal.

Check the batteries

Finally, you need to make sure you are checking the batteries on your device. If you notice an issue with your hearing aids, the majority of the time it will be a problem with the batteries. To keep rechargeable batteries in the right condition, you should let them drain down before recharging them. You might also want to think about investing in a couple of sets of batteries so you always have some charged. This will guarantee that you are never in a situation where you can’t use your hearing aids when you need them.

If you need more help with maintaining your hearing aids or choosing the right accessories and cleaning instruments, call Beltone Hearing Care Centre at one of the numbers below.

• Campbell River, BC: (778) 560-3112
• Comox, BC: (778) 560-3103
• Coquitlam, BC: (604) 283-4430
• Duncan, BC: (778) 410-2166
• Nanaimo, BC: (778) 410-2529
• Powell River, BC: (778) 410-2167
• Sidney, BC: (778) 410-2536
• Victoria, BC: (778) 557-1704