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We have some tips on how to take care of hearing aids, so you get optimal performance and long life.
Hearing aids have become incredibly sophisticated in recent times and the top models are now able to perform a range of functions in addition to allowing you to hear better. They let you listen to the TV directly and control the volume, and you can also take phone calls via hearing aids and stream music to them from your phone.
These tiny devices are packed full of the latest technology to do their primary job: boosting the voices of people and the sounds of the environment around you, delivering it in crystal-clear fashion to your ears. And just like any other technological device, hearing aids require care and attention so that they work properly, don’t break down and last for years.
It’s all the more vital to look after your hearing aids well given where they’re placed: in a moist channel that contains a waxy substance (earwax), not entirely conducive to the workings of electronic equipment. Earwax, for instance, can accumulate and clog parts of hearing aids, including the speaker, meaning you get muffled sounds and can’t hear properly all over again. So how to clean hearing aids and keep them in excellent working order? Here are a few simple steps you can take to prolong their life.
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Get a Hearing Aid Cleaning Kit
Your hearing aids may have come with a cleaning kit, but if not, you can easily buy one in the High Street or order online — or ask the audiologist who supplied your hearing aids for one. These handy maintenance kits typically contain tiny brushes that let you effectively clean your hearing aids along with dry cloths and special tools and magnets to remove the battery, if required. If you don’t have one, you may be able to improvise with some cotton buds and tissue paper.
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Visually Inspect Your Hearing Aids
Instead of blindly wiping and wiping your hearing aids without much thought for what you’re doing — perhaps doing more harm than good — we recommend that before you clean your hearing aids, you do a visual inspection. This will allow you to see any dirt or debris, including ear earwax, that may have accumulated around various parts, so you can then choose the right tool to get rid of it. Otherwise, you risk pushing debris further into the devices and potentially damaging them.
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Start Cleaning Your Hearing Aids
Use a soft cloth to clean your hearing aids gently — never use water, even if they’re water-resistance, or place them in water. And then use any special tools, like tiny brushes, to dislodge any earwax that may have built up along the devices.
Some hearing aids have filters or guards designed to protect against earwax, and they can be removed for cleaning. If yours have these, you’ll need to look at the manufacturer’s instructions on removing and replacing them once they’re clean.
Depending on your type of hearing aids, you may need to do some extra cleaning. This is especially the case with hearing aids worn behind the ear and have a tube running into the ear canal with a speaker at the end. You’ll need to disconnect the tubing and run a special cleaning wire that may be in your kit through it to make sure there’s nothing in there, like earwax or anything else.
Other aspects about your hearing aids to keep in mind is that they’re not suited to high temperatures or wet environments. So if you’re holidaying in a sunspot, for instance, you’ll need to take extra care that your hearing aids are not out in the blazing sun all day — and that you don’t plunge into the pool with them.
Lots of care and regular cleaning will ensure your invaluable hearing aids continue to enhance your welfare and enjoyment of life.
You can get your hearing aids professionally cleaned at Regain Hearing, as it’s part of our lifelong service to our customers. Contact us now to find out more.