Helpful Tips for Taking Care of Your Hearing Aids

Hearing aids offer millions of people a way to enhance their engagement with the world and their loved ones. Aids are sophisticated devices that come in a range of options (in-the-ear (ITE), behind-the-ear (BTE), and in-the-canal (ITC)) and designs. In addition, today’s advanced technology provides increasingly innovative solutions for better hearing.

Your Sarasota and Longboat Key Audiologist team at Hearing Aids of Sarasota is here to help you find the right options for your hearing needs through evaluation and diagnostics, consultation, and fitting by a qualified audiologist. We even offer a free e-book, Guide to Hearing Loss and Hearing Aids, for you to download. 

What you will need to do once receiving your hearing aids

As hearing aids are sensitive and intricate small instruments and you are making an investment for greater quality of life, you’ll want to take steps to take care of your hearing aids. Neglecting regular maintenance can result in your aids not working as intended, fitting poorly, or not working altogether. At Hearing Aids of Sarasota, we always want to ensure you are happy for a long time to come and able to hear everything from the sounds of the seagulls at the beach to conversations with your family. 

Here are some tips to properly maintain your hearing aid at home.

1. Gently remove earwax from your hearing aid. It’s perfectly normal for a bit of wax to end up on anything inserted into the ear canal. Upon your appointment with us, we can advise you on the best tools, like wax picks and small brushes, that can help you gently remove wax from your aid. 
2. Always wash your hands before and after handling your aid. Your ears are sensitive organs, and you want to minimize the possibility of introducing bacteria into your ears. While you want to be sure to clean your hands, keep your hearing aids away from the sink, however, to prevent the possibility of them coming in contact with moisture. That brings us to…
3. Keep your hearing aids dry. Moisture is a nemesis to any device with electrical parts. Just like you don’t want to get water into your cell phone or computer keyboard, you want to keep your aids as free as possible from moisture. If you are active and sweat frequently, you’ll want to be even more mindful of using a soft, dry cloth to remove outside moisture. Living in a humid climate as we do in Florida, getting a hearing aid dehumidifier can extend the life and function of your hearing aids. If you have a behind-the-ear aid (BTE), we can show you how to clean and dry the mold and the tube to experience optimal hearing. 
4. Take care of the batteries and change them frequently. We’ve mentioned moisture a lot in this blog, and it is also an enemy of your hearing aid’s battery. A small amount of trapped moisture can cause battery corrosion and damage to the inside of your aids. When you’re not using your aids, you can open the battery doors to let moisture evaporate. Also, you can consult with us on your specific hearing aid’s recommended battery replacement time. 
5. Schedule a professional cleaning. Just like you brush your teeth every day but make sure to get a deep dental cleaning at regular intervals, you can take steps for daily hearing aid care and schedule professional cleanings. We’re happy to get you on our appointment schedule to prolong the life of your hearing aids and make sure you’re getting the most out of them. 

Follow these simple care tips for taking care of your hearing aids. If you need help with a hearing evaluation or device maintenance, Hearing Aids of Sarasota is your partner in helping you enjoy all the sounds of living! Contact us today to make your appointment.