The hearing aid was arguably one of the most important health inventions of modern times. It’s allowed people to turn the volume back up on their lives, making it far easier to hear things. While your hearing health itself isn’t cured, you no longer have to live with the constant anxiety of worrying if you’ll be able to hear what someone is saying.
It’s one of the greatest additions to your life and can help your health immeasurably. However, these devices are very small and break easily – so how do you look after them? We’ve got some straightforward tips to ensure you always take care of your hearing aids.
Move your hearing aids away from moisture
Your hearing aids can’t be around moisture for too long. It gets into the device and ruins the circuitry, which destroys them. Humidity is the biggest culprit; always leave your hearing aids in rooms without a lot of moisture in the air. Never take them off and place them on your vanity unit in the shower – they should be in a clean place with low humidity.
Clean them every day to prevent wax build-up
It sounds obvious, but any device that’s constantly in your ears will get dirty. Wax can cover the piece that enters your ear and this can clog up parts of the device. When left uncleaned, this will lead to performance issues so your hearing aid stops working efficiently. All you need to do is clean your hearing aid every day with a clean cloth. You don’t need to use any cleaning products; wipe down the device gently and remove any wax with the cloth. This keeps it in the best possible condition to last for a long time.
Open the battery chamber to air it out
We spoke about humidity and moisture earlier on, and the battery chamber is prone to collecting moisture. This happens when you’re out and about so you should open the chamber at the end of every day to let it air out. Any built-up moisture can escape, leaving the batteries as dry as possible. If you got caught out in the rain, we recommend leaving your hearing aid with its battery champer open next to a dehumidifier. This sucks all the moisture out, preventing damage.
Always keep your hearing aids in a safe place
Never lose track of your hearing aids or put them in potentially dangerous places. They should be kept in their case when not in use, far away from the reach of pets and children. Putting them in a draw is a smart idea as they’re out of harm’s way. You should also take extra care when keeping hearing aids safe during spring cleaning. Don’t clean any surfaces until you’ve packed the hearing aids away so you don’t accidentally wipe them off your desk or spray them with chemicals.
Don’t forget how beneficial hearing aids are for your health. They change your life and are crucial for anyone with hearing loss or hearing health problems. Keep them in the best condition and they’ll last for longer without needing constant repairs.