Hearing aids are like anything else; if you don’t take care of them they will break faster and require costly repairs. If you drive your car without changing the oil, the entire engine will eventually shut down and have to be replaced. Simply spending $30 on an oil change every 3,000 miles will prevent this expense.
You and your audiologist worked hard to determine the best hearing aid for your type and degree of hearing loss. After spending a pretty penny on the device, why not do everything you can to ensure your hearing aid works to the best of its ability and lasts as long as possible?
Below are a few hearing aid maintenance tips to ensure your hearing aid continues to work its best.
Cleaning Your Hearing Aid
Clean the hearing aid. When you take your hearing aid out before bed you must clean it. Properly cleaning the device involves removing any buildup of earwax, dirt or grime. The hearing aid itself should be cleaned with a soft, dry cloth. The earmold (the part that goes into the ear canal) should be removed and cleaned with a mild soap solution. Make sure the earmold is completely dry before reattaching it to the device.
Check the Batteries
The batteries used by your hearing aid are not the standard mercury batteries you are used to. Instead of slowly draining over time, the zinc batteries can go from full power to dead in an instant. To ensure your hearing aid can make it through the day you should use a battery tester every morning. You should always keep extra batteries with you, just in case.
Remove Moisture
Your hearing aid spends most of its life inside your ear; just imagine how much moisture becomes trapped inside. A hearing aid drying container or a dehumidifier should be used to remove the excess moisture. Make sure you take the battery out of the hearing aid before you place it in the container overnight.
Do these steps seem doable? They are not any more challenging than brushing your teeth or turning off all the lights before going to bed. These daily hearing aid maintenance steps can prevent you from having to pay for costly repairs and can even extend the life of your hearing device.