TOP TEN WAYS TO EXTEND THE LIFE OF YOUR HEARING AIDS
10) Each time you visit your primary doctor or otolaryngologist (ENT), ask him or her to check your ears for wax and to clean it out if wax is present. Wax is the #1 reason that hearing aids fail and need to be repaired, so staying ahead of that issue is a good way to keep your hearing aids working at peak condition. If you are prone to accumulating lots of wax, your doctor may recommend and over-the-counter wax removal kit to be used every few weeks or once a month.
9) If you perspire profusely and wear hearing aids, consider using hearing aid covers like Ear Gear. They cover all the ports to your hearing aid and help prevent corrosion and moisture damage. See the website: http://www.gearforears.com/
8) Visit your hearing healthcare professional every 4-6 months to have them check and professionally clean your instruments. This is similar to getting a tune up and oil change on your car; it takes time but if you do it regularly it will keep your devices running well.
7) Clean your hearing aids every day before you put them in. If you cannot commit to doing this, try for 3 times a week. At the very least, give your instruments a visual check to see if there is any debris blocking your microphone ports, receiver, battery compartment, and battery contacts. Your hearing healthcare professional will show you this when you get your instruments, but if you have any questions a week, a month, or even a year or two later about how to properly clean your instruments, be sure to ask; they will be more than happy to help you. Cleaning and Care.
6) Do not put your hearing aids on until after you are done spraying hair spray or using hair products (gels, mousses, creams, etc..). These things tend to get into the hearing aid’s microphone ports and clog them up, making the wearer think that they are dead. They usually have to be sent in for repairs when this happens, so be sure to do all your hair styling before you put your hearing aids in your ears.
5) Do not wear your hearing aids when you are having MRIs or cat scan x-rays done. Send them out of the room with the technician who is doing the x-ray…he or she will most likely ask you if you wear hearing aids before beginning. The x-rays can wipe clean the chip inside the aids, leaving them dead. There is nothing you can do to fix it except for send it back to the manufacturer to have another chip put into the unit.
4) Keep your hearing aids away from pets and small children. While dogs will take the brunt of the blame because they are the most common culprits who chew up and destroy hearing aids, cats have been known to bat them off of nightstands and coffee tables until they are never seen again. The most mangled hearing aid I’ve ever seen damaged by a pet was actually chewed to death by a bird who sat on her owner’s shoulder while he was napping…you wouldn’t even believe the destruction.
3) Make sure that you have a case that fits in your purse or pocket when you travel or are not at home. DO NOT WRAP YOUR HEARING AIDS IN TISSUES AND PUT THEM IN YOUR PURSE OR POCKET! (Or on your nightstand. Or on the table next to where you sit and watch television. Or anywhere that you think, “Gee, I will remember these are here and get them later.”) They will get lost. Trust me on this. Your hearing aids will probably come with a soft case and a hard case. Keep the hard case on a dresser or chest of drawers and the soft case in your purse or pocket. For the soft case, take a return of address label and put it on there…that way if it ever gets lost someone will know where to find you to return your hearing aids.
2) Keep your hearing aids dry. Don’t wear them in the shower, the bathtub, the hot tub, the pool, the ocean, the river, the lake, or any other body of water. Put a note on your bathroom mirror reminding you to remove your hearing aids before entering the shower.
And the number one way to prolong the life of your hearing aids is…
Use a Dry and Store box every night…your hearing aids and wallet will thank you as they prolong the life of your instruments significantly. To read more about the benefits of a Dry and Store, click HERE.
Until next time,
Dr. Kristin
