If you’ve been diagnosed with hearing loss, then a new pair of hearing aids tend to be the single best solution for most people. These devices can make a profound impact on your quality of life, but they do need some care and maintenance to keep them as effective as possible. As such, let’s look at a few tips to help you ensure that you give them the care that they need.
Test them every morning
When you wake up, you should make sure to test your hearing aids before you start wearing them. With the help of a listening tube, you can check your hearing aid to ensure there isn’t any feedback, breaks in the sound, or other issues with how they work. If they do have that issue, then it might be time to take them in for a repair.
Clean them every day
Since you wear hearing aids in your ear, it should be no surprise that they can get a little dirty. Dirt, debris, and earwax especially can gather, blocking their ability to improve your hearing. People who wear hearing aids tend to produce a little more earwax, as well. You should have a cleaning kit that can with your hearing aids and, if they didn’t, you should make sure to purchase one. You don’t need to use water to clean your hearing aids, except for those that have removable earmolds which can be soaked and then dried alone.
Keeping your hearing aids dry
To prevent damage to your hearing aid, it’s important to avoid exposing it to any moisture, especially if it’s not waterproof. This means refraining from bringing your hearing aid with you to the bathroom while bathing, showering, or washing your face, or hair, as soap and water can be harmful. When not in use, store your hearing aid in its designated container, and if you don’t have one, consider asking your audiologist for recommendations on obtaining a drying container.
Take care of your batteries
Batteries are a crucial part of how your hearing aids work. You should get rechargeable hearing aid batteries to make sure that you’re never left without, but always keep spares, too. When you take your hearing aid out, be it at night or to go for a shower or bath, take the batteries out and store them in a cool, dry place. You should clean the battery storage compartment of the hearing aid, as well, and leave the door to it open. This helps to prevent moisture from building up in the battery storage, which can corrode the batteries.
Be mindful of feedback
Feedback is a common issue, when the microphone and receiver are too close, this produces a high-pitched and unpleasant sound. If you hear this whining or screeching sound, there might be a fault with the device. Sometimes, a component is slightly out of alignment. Try repositioning the microphone if you can, or turn down the volume, but consider taking it in for repair as well.
Caring for your hearing aid is something you have to invest time into every day. However, it can be well worth it for the benefits of wearing one.
