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Caring For Your Hearing Aids
Daily Care Keeps Hearing Aids Working for Years
But don’t worry, it only takes a few moments out of your day to adequately maintain them. For your reference, read the quick tips below to gain a better understanding of how to care for these incredible devices:
Cleaning
- Thoroughly wipe your hearing aids daily with a dry, soft cloth.
- Never use water or any cleansers on your devices; they must always stay dry.
- Store your aids in a dehumidifier kit to reduce moisture.
- Regularly remove earwax from your device using a wax loop or brush.
- Keep sounds crisp by changing your wax filters every 1-2 months or whenever sounds seem weak.
- If your earmolds or tubing become stiff, dry, discolored, or cracked, schedule an appointment with us for a replacement.
Storing
- Leave the battery door open when you are not wearing your hearing aid.
- Protect your device from moisture and humidity by storing it in a cool, dry place.
- Keep your aid away from excessive heat.
- Hearing aids should be kept in a protective case. Never put them in your pocket or wrap them in a tissue.
- Small hearing aids are a choking hazard. Keep them out of reach from pets and children.
Care
- Hearing aids should always stay dry. Remove them before showering, swimming, or entering a sauna or steam shower.
- If your devices get wet, immediately open the battery door and remove the battery. Call our office to schedule an appointment to ensure they have not become damaged.
- Personal products like hair spray, sunscreen, makeup, or lotion can damage your devices. Remove your hearing aids before using these items.
- Contact our office to schedule routine maintenance and performance checks.
- Handle your hearing aids with care and avoid dropping or banging them on hard surfaces.
Troubleshooting Hearing Aids
Sometimes your hearing aids may stop working unexpectedly. Usually, you will be able to restore hearing aid function by following these basic troubleshooting techniques.
Receiver-in-the-canal (RIC) devices
- Replace the batteries. After replacing the batteries, check to see if the hearing aids are working by either checking for feedback by cupping the aids in your hand or by listening through the hearing aids.
- Check the domes and wax guards for blockage. If debris is present, then sound cannot leave the receiver. Remove this debris by brushing the domes with a brush and replacing the wax filter
Behind-the-ear (BTE) thin tube open-fit devices
- Replace the batteries. After replacing the batteries, check to see if the hearing aids are working by either checking for feedback by cupping the aids in your hand or by listening through the hearing aids.
- Check the domes or custom ear molds and tubing for blockage. If debris is stuck in the tubing, you can use a thin wire to clean the tubing. If your hearing aids are fit with domes, start by removing the domes from the tubing. If you have custom ear molds, it is not necessary to remove the ear molds. Remove the tubing from the hearing aids. Some tubing can be snapped off, while others need to be screwed off. Slowly push the plastic wire provided by your audiologist through the entire tube. This should remove any debris inside. Snap or screw the tubing back onto the hearing aids and push the domes back onto the tubing.
Behind-the-ear (BTE)
- Replace the batteries. After replacing the batteries, check to see if the hearing aids are working by either checking for feedback by cupping the aids in your hand or by listening through the hearing aids.
- Check the tubing for moisture blockage. If there is moisture in the tubing, then sound cannot leave the sound opening of the ear mold. If you see moisture in the tubing, gently flick the ear molds to force the moisture out of the tubing.
- Examine the sound openings for blockage. If wax blockage is present, brush these openings with a brush until debris has been removed. If you cannot clear the sound opening or tubing of debris, you will have to deep clean the ear mold in a cup of warm water with mild dish soap. First, separate the ear mold from the hearing aids by pinching the soft tubing with one hand and the hard ear hook with the other hand. Twist and pull the tubing from the ear hook. Soak the ear molds in a glass of soapy warm water for 10 minutes. DO NOT soak the hearing aids, only the ear molds. Remove and dry the ear molds completely with a towel. Use a forced air blower to force excess water from the tubing and vent of the ear molds. Once the ear molds are completely dry, attach the tubing to the hearing aid. Twist the tubing to orient the ear molds so that the wing of the ear mold, opposite the sound opening, is toward the hearing aids.
In-the-ear (ITE) devices
- Replace the batteries. After replacing the batteries, check to see if the hearing aids are working by either checking for feedback by cupping the aids in your hand or by listening through the hearing aids.
- Check wax filters for blockage. If debris is present, then sound cannot leave the receiver. Remove this debris by brushing the domes with a brush and replacing the wax filter.
Disposable Battery Tips
Battery life varies depending on the size of the battery and the amount of current energy draw required by the hearing aid, which varies depending on a person’s individual hearing loss.
Turn OFF your hearing aid(s) by opening the battery door(s).
You may either:
Start a replacement cycle and anticipate when your battery will become low. Preventatively replace the battery before it goes dead (i.e. change the battery every Sunday morning).
Wait until you hear the low battery warning. At that time, change the battery.
- It may be helpful to put the sticker tab that is removed to activate the battery on your calendar to track battery use.
- Do NOT refrigerate your batteries but DO store them in a cool, dry place.
- Remove the sticker tab and allow your batteries to fully power up. Hearing aid batteries are a zinc-air battery which means the charge does not begin until the sticker tab is removed from the face of the battery, allowing air to enter through tiny openings. Never remove the tab until the battery is going to be inserted into the hearing aid. Allow your batteries to sit outside of the hearing aid for a full minute before you insert them. This will allow the batteries to charge fully and give you the longest possible battery life.
- Insert your battery correctly. There is a “positive” and a “negative” polarity and the battery must be positioned correctly to coincide with the electrical contacts in the hearing aid. If the battery door does not close easily, this is often a sign that the battery is in backwards.
Contact Info
- Monday – Thursday : 8:00 am – 4:30 pm Friday : 8:00 am – 4:00 pm