How to Take Care of Your Hearing Aids

You’ve finally made the plunge! You had your hearing test, looked at the options and chose the right hearing aids for your lifestyle. Your hearing is so much better now!

Now you pick up the sounds of rain, your grandkids, the clock ticking, and on good days you even hear a pin drop! In order to keep your hearing and health investment in great working order, there are some habits to develop that keep your hearing aids working well for years to come.

Get Into a Routine

The first good habit for a hearing aid owner is knowing where they are at all times. Just as eyeglasses seem to go missing when you need them, hearing aids get misplaced too. Although you can buy enough reading glasses to keep multiples around the house, it’s not so with hearing aids. Keeping track of them is the first rule of business!

Develop a daily routine with your hearing aids.

• Always put them in the same place when you remove them.
• Use the protective case provided by the manufacturer. 
• If you live in or travel to a very humid environment, talk to your hearing aid professional about getting a silica-based drying agent to store with your hearing aids.
• Open the battery door and leave your hearing aid uncharged when not in use. This extends the life of your hearing aid and saves you money on battery purchases.

Be Gentle

Hearing aids are for wearing in most all situations, but they are easily damaged with rough or improper care. When you put your hearing aids in, and especially when changing the batteries, choose a place that provides a soft landing should you drop them, such as over a bed or a cloth surface. If you do drop them, a visit to your hearing aid specialist might be in order to see if all is well. Never yank on the tubing, over-stress the battery door hinge or put undo pressure or force on them.

When hearing aids fit properly, they stay on during moderate exercise, such as walking, jogging and bicycling. In situations that involve more vigorous movements, like contact sports, dirty or sweaty yard work or anything that might dislodge them or cause them to get damaged, be safe and take them out.

Keep Hearing Aids Dry and Cool

Hearing aids and moisture don’t mix. Remove them before showering, going in the hot tub or sauna, swimming or during a heavy downpour of rain. If your hearing aids do get wet, take them out immediately and remove the battery. Leave them out in a dry place.

Never attempt to use a hair dryer on hearing aids, because another enemy is excessive heat. Leaving your hearing aids in a hot compartment of your car, near a heat source or in direct sunlight can easily damage their sophisticated internal components. Contact our hearing aid specialist when your hearing aids get excessively wet or and ask for a “hearing aid examination.”

How to Clean Hearing Aids

Wax happens!

Earwax, also known as cerumen, is perfectly normal and essential for healthy ears. Wearing hearing aids introduces you to your earwax in ways you might never have imagined!

Your in-the-ear hearing aid will get wax on it, but just wipe it off with a soft and slightly damp cloth.

A behind-the-ear model is not immune to wax either; the tubing and dome will collect its fair share of cerumen. Wipe off the wax you see, and when the dome needs to be changed, change the wax filter as well. This is best done in a clean, soft environment, possibly over a towel, in case you drop one of these small components.

Try sitting down at a table and make yourself a workspace, for additional accident prevention.

Life can be dirty, especially when we’re trying to clean up and look pretty. Hairspray, gels, shaving lotions, sunblock, powders, and perfumes — these are all enemies of a modern hearing aid. After you’re ready to meet the world with every hair in place, then it’s time to gently put in your hearing aids.

Come to The Hearing Solution for Help

The Hearing Solution in Sacramento is dedicated to providing you with ongoing help, advice, service, repair, and the resources you need to make your hearing aid experience a success. Do not hesitate to contact us with any questions.

If a hearing aid suffers an accident, we want to get it working again. Don’t be embarrassed, because we’ve heard everything! Please call us, email or drop by our office with your concerns.

Together we can keep your amazing and life-changing hearing aids in good working order.