If you’ve recently purchased a new set of hearing aids then you know what an investment they can be. Hearing aids can improve your quality of life, increasing mobility, your relationships, and your cognitive performance. Hearing aids are an investment that will last you for years. On average today’s hearing aids will last an individual 5 to 7 years, but you can get more out of them when you take care of them. Here are just a few tips to ensure you can enjoy your hearing aids for years to come.
Clean Your Hearing Aids Every Day
The most important thing you can do to help your hearing aids last to the potential is to commit to cleaning them daily. Build cleaning your hearing aids into your evening hygiene routine. It can take just a few minutes to inspect them for damage and clean away dirt, earwax, and debris, which if ignored could build up into much larger issues. When dirt, dust, earwax, and moisture build-up it can clog up your hearing aid’s system and cause costly repairs. However, with a few nightly steps you can make sure your hearing aids are in the best shape possible:
- Wipe your hearing aids with a soft, dry cloth
- Examine your hearing aids for any earwax and use a cleaning pick to gently remove build-up from small cracks and crevasses.
- Inspect the battery for any sign of corrosion caused by sweat or humidity. Wipe the contact ports and leaving the door open at the end of the night allows for any moisture trapped to evaporate more easily.
- Inspect and clean the tubing weekly by using warm water. Let the water run through them and let them air dry overnight to make sure the moisture has left the tubing.
Keep Your Hearing Aids Dry
Moisture is not the friend of hearing aids. On a humid day, getting caught off guard in a rainstorm or just sweating from a rigorous exercise over time can cause the delicate electronic connections of hearing aids to short-circuit. There is no replacement for manually inspecting and drying your hearing aids after a cleaning, but another preventative measure is investing in a hearing aid dehumidifier. For hearing aids that use rechargeable batteries, the charging port often doubles as a dehumidifier, removing any water from the entire hearing aid so they are dry and ready to perform to their best first thing in the morning.
If you are committed to a life of better hearing with hearing aids then a dehumidifier will always be useful to have around. We all try to be as careful as possible however mistakes happen. We ideally wear our hearing aids from the time we wake up till the time we go to sleep. It’s all too easy to forget to take them out when we jump in the shower or the pool. When mistakes with water happen it’s always nice to have a dehumidifier handy. Turn off the power as soon as you realize water exposure has occurred and keep them switched off for 24 hours while your dehumidifier removes any water which could cause permanent damage to your valuable devices.
Extend Your Battery Life
A lot of hearing aids have replaceable batteries that need to be replaced every three days or less depending on the model. This can be incredibly frustrating for some hearing aid users, especially those with dexterity issues. While rechargeable batteries are becoming more available, if you do have a model with replaceable batteries, you can get the longest battery life by opening the battery door at the end of the day. This cuts off any drain to the battery so they will be ready to enhance your hearing the next day.
Get Your Hearing Aids Serviced
If you’ve noticed any changes in the performance of your hearing aids, then it’s time to get them serviced. By paying attention and caring for your hearing aids nightly you can start to notice any parts that are becoming worn and may need to be replaced. Even so, you may miss a possible hearing aid issue. It’s ideal to have your hearing aids inspected and tuned up every six months. This can catch an issue before it progresses to a malfunction. We know how much you rely on your hearing aids. That is why we are here to help you with all your hearing needs.