Your hearing aids should help you hear better right? When they aren’t working right, it can be extremely frustrating, it’s a total “You had ONE job” situation. Luckily, your hearing aids should have no problem doing their job if you properly maintain them.
Before you do anything drastic, go through this list. It may be time to come in and talk with us if you find it isn’t one of these ordinary problems. For example, your hearing aids may need recalibration, or your hearing could have changed.
Potential Pitfall: Low Batteries
Hearing aid batteries, while improving in quality, still require recharging and replacing occasionally. So staying on top of charging your batteries is crucial. The first thing you should do if your hearing aid starts to falter or cut in and out is check the battery.
The fix: Keep ‘em Fresh
Investing in a battery tester, especially if you like to stock up, is a smart idea. Even if you keep batteries sealed until you need to use them, always a smart plan, they have a limited shelf life, and so the last batteries in that giant pack you bought months ago probably won’t hold a charge as long as the first few did. Another trick: Wait five minutes after you unpack new batteries before you put them in your hearing aids. This gives the zinc time to become active, and can possibly extend the life of the batteries.
Potential Pitfall: Gross Things Like Wax And Grime
No matter how clean you keep your ears, and if you have difficulty hearing, you’re a lot more likely than the average individual to stay on top of earwax, your hearing aids are going to collect dirt and debris. You may find yourself with a dirt problem if sounds seem a little off or distorted.
The fix: Clean Them Out—And Keep Them Clean!
You can purchase a kit for cleaning your hearing aids or you can use things you already have around the house to clean them. You can use a microfiber cloth, like the kind you use to clean your cellphone or glasses, to wipe your hearing aid down after disassembling it.
Simple hygiene practices will go a long way to keeping your hearing aids clean. Clean and dry your hands before you handle your hearing aids, and remove them while you’re doing things, such as washing your face, styling your hair, or even shaving, that might put them in danger of being spritzed, sprayed, or splattered.
Potential Pitfall: Trapped Moisture
Even a little bit of moisture can really harm your hearing aid (think sweating, not deep-sea diving). The vent in the hearing aid and the battery can even be effected by humidity in the air. Problems ranging from distortion to static or even crackling might happen depending on how much moisture has gotten in. They may even seem to shut down.
The fix: Keep Them Dry
Leave the battery door open when you store your hearing aid overnight and any longer than that, remove the battery. Any captured moisture will be able to evaporate and air will be able to circulate with almost no effort on your part.
A cool, dry place is the best spot to store your hearing aids. The bedroom is a practical spot, skip the bathroom or kitchen. Although the latter is convenient, the steam from a hot shower is precisely what you don’t want. You will likely want to get a hearing aid storage box if you live in an overly humid climate. Most versions use a desiccant in the form of a small moisture absorbing packet, but some more expensive models remove moisture with electronics.
None of the above are working? It might be time to speak with us.