Your hearing aids should improve your hearing right? When they aren’t working properly, it can be extremely infuriating, it’s a total “You had ONE job” scenario. The good news is, with regular upkeep, your hearing aids should continue to function efficiently.
Go through this list before you do anything hasty. It might be time to come in and see us if you find it isn’t one of these common problems. For example, your hearing aids may need recalibration, or your hearing could have changed.
Potential Pitfall: Low Batteries
While hearing aid batteries have gotten significantly smaller and lifespans are getting better, the batteries still need to be replaced occasionally or recharged. That means that it’s essential to maintain your hearing aids’ batteries. If it seems like the sound is fading or coming and going, check your battery first.
The fix: Keep ‘em Fresh
Investing in a battery tester, especially if you like to stock up, is a worthwhile idea. Even if you keep batteries sealed until you need to use them, always a good plan, they have a limited shelf life, and so the last batteries in that giant pack you purchased months ago most likely won’t last as long as the first few did. Another trick: When you unpack new batteries, wait 5 minutes before installing them. This can help extend the battery life by allowing the zinc to activate.
Potential Pitfall: Grease, Grime, And Other Gross Stuff
Regardless of how clean you keep your ears, and if you have a hard time hearing, you’re much more likely than the average individual to pay attention to earwax, your hearing aids will gather dirt and debris. You may find yourself with a dirt issue if sounds seem a bit off or distorted.
The fix: Clean ‘em Out—And Keep Them Clean!
You can buy a kit for cleaning your hearing aids or you can use items you already have around the house to clean them. Once you’ve disassembled your hearing aids, use a soft, microfiber cloth (like you’d use to clean glasses or smartphone) to wipe down the hardware.
Simple hygiene practices will go a long way to keeping your hearing aids clean. Whenever you do something that involves liquid or moisture, such as washing your face or styling your hair, take your hearing aids out and make certain your hands are dry when handling them.
Potential Pitfall: Trapped Moisture
Moisture can be a real problem for hearing aids, and it doesn’t take much to do so (you don’t need to be submerged, even sweating can be a problem). The vent in the hearing aid and the battery can even be effected by humidity in the air. Depending on how much moisture’s gotten in, you could experience issues from sound distortion to static, to crackling. They may even appear to quit altogether.
The fix: Keep ‘em Dry
Keep the battery door open when you store your hearing aid overnight and any longer than that, take the battery out. Any captured moisture will be able to evaporate and air will be able to circulate with almost no effort on your part.
Store hearing aids in a cool, dry place. The bedroom is a smart spot, skip the bathroom or kitchen. Keeping them in the bathroom might seem convenient but moisture is just too much. You will likely want to purchase a hearing aid storage box if you live in an overly humid environment. Most versions use a desiccant in the form of a small moisture absorbing packet, but some more costly models get rid of moisture with electronics.
If you’ve tried all of these and none of them are helping then it may be time for a consultation with us.