What would you do if your hearing aids stopped working at a time when you needed them most. Like in the middle of a phone call?
Nobody wants that to occur! Your hearing aids are a significant investment in your hearing, happiness, and general health. Keeping them working in peak condition lets you obtain the greatest possible benefits from them.
The following are 7 steps to help you correctly care for your hearing aids and keep them operating in peak condition.
1. Become Familiar With The Instruction Manual
The most beneficial results will be achieved when you use the manual that came with your hearing aids. Many technical difficulties you may be experiencing can be solved by the trouble-shooting guides that are in these manuals.
Always check out the manual first if something isn’t working properly.
Any problems associated with the performance of your hearing aid should be addressed in the manual. This is important even if you’ve had hearing aids before because your new devices might not work in the same manner. Obviously, hearing aid technology has progressed significantly in recent years.
2. Keep Your Hearing Aids Clean
Hearing aids can provide a breeding ground for bacteria.
If you don’t clean and disinfect your hearing aids and wash your hands before you handle them, an ear infection can be the result.
Ear infections can lead to further hearing trouble. Most are temporary, but some can cause irreversible damage.
Bacteria like damp surfaces, so clean each hearing aid with a dry cloth before and after every use. You should never put your hearing aids in water. Being careful not to get them too wet, utilize an alcohol-free wet wipe to clean and disinfect.
Once every week, clean the hearing aid and any custom mold pieces completely.
The earpiece will remain free of any wax buildup with regular cleaning.
3. Keep Your Hearing Aids Dry
Getting wet is not something that most hearing aids are designed to do. Even high humidity can damage them. Don’t leave them on the nightstand after cleaning.
Hearing aids sitting on a surface in your house will accumulate dust that carries bacteria.
Store your devices in a cool, dry place according to the manufacturer’s guidelines. Before you go into the shower or take a bath, make sure you take them out. Keep your hearing aids in another room when you shower because there will be moisture in the air.
Take an umbrella with you if there’s rain in the forecast.
Always keep your charger with you because your battery may drain faster if there’s moisture in the air.
Don’t allow your hearing aid to be exposed to extreme heat, such as a blow dryer or sauna, because that can also damage them.
4. Avoid Draining The Battery
Don’t get caught without a backup battery at your nephew’s piano recital.
When you take your hearing aids off to go to bed, turn them all the way off. Take out the batteries if you are going to go for a long period without wearing your hearing aids. You’ll get more life out of the battery this way, and you’ll avoid the risk of battery acid damaging the hearing aid’s sensitive electronics.
The life of your battery can be substantially prolonged by following these recommendations but it doesn’t hurt to bring a spare along, just in case.
5. Have Your Ears Cleaned Professionally
Anytime you’re inserting something in your ear, it will push a small amount of earwax into the canal. Voices will eventually begin to sound distorted as this earwax builds up. If your hearing experience doesn’t seem right, schedule an appointment with a hearing specialist to check for abnormal earwax accumulation.
With the right tools and know-how, it’s a simple process. It should only be performed by a trained professional with the expertise to take care of and service your hearing aids.
6. Put in Your Hearing Aids Above a Soft Surface
Taking the chance of dropping your hearing aid into the toilet or sink is really not worth it. This can easily result in dropping the hearing aid and breaking it. Over a couch, bed, or soft folded towel would be a suitable place to insert them.
7. If You’re Not Experiencing Improved Hearing, Talk To a Specialist
You need to continue to wear your hearing aids even if you aren’t currently having the best success. There are answers. Make an appointment to come see us.