How to Increase the Life of a Hearing Aid?

For most people, hearing aids can transform their lives and help them live as normal as possible even after experiencing hearing loss. However, hearing aids are constructed using delicate components, which means you must take extra special care of them to guarantee a long lifespan. While your audiologist will have already discussed how to care for your hearing aids, it is always worth getting a little refresher to ensure long life and consistent performance to ensure they operate correctly. 

Clean them regularly 

Regular cleaning is the best way for you to ensure your hearing aids last as long as possible. Undertaking regular cleaning every night will prevent earwax buildup, which could solidify and block the speaker, muffling the sound. 

When this occurs, it can put more strain on the batteries, as you may need to increase the volume, draining the battery faster. This means the device will not work for as long each day, which could be an issue. 

There is a range of cleaning accessories available to help care for and maintain your hearing aids, including wax brushes and wires, cloths, and cleaning pens to wipe away any debris. For the best results, clean your hearing aids each night before bed and allow them to air out overnight before using them again once you wake up. 

Keep away from moisture

Moisture can severely damage your hearing aids as it will seep through the casing and cause problems with the components. It may not be entirely ruined, but it can do enough to make the hearing aids malfunction. 

Just like your smartphone can get damaged when exposed to water, the same can happen with hearing aids. Because of this, you must take your hearing aids out when showering or swimming. 

Most hearing aids are durable enough to survive storms and rainfall, but you should still be careful in these scenarios. If your hearing aids do get soaked, you should wipe them down and air them out immediately. Speak to your audiologist about special dry boxes, which will dehumidify your hearing aids and hopefully prevent any problems.

Keep away from extreme heat 

Likewise, hearing aids are not suitable for extreme heat levels. It is unlikely you will expose them to such temperatures, but it is still useful to know. The maximum temperature exposure will typically come with the instruction manual, or your audiologist will recommend where to avoid. 

No beauty products

Whether hair spray, mousse, lotions or perfumes, you should strive to keep your hearing aids well away from this. The aerosol and substances could get into the microphone, which will affect the quality and functionality of the hearing aids. 
With this in mind, it’s important to only put your hearing aids in after getting ready as this will prevent any serious problems and keep them working to the level you expect. 

Use new batteries

Fresh batteries will prevent a sudden drain, which could come at the worst possible time. It is also a good idea to carry a spare pair of batteries with you just if they run down during the day. 

Ideally, you can look for hearing aids with rechargeable batteries. As most hearing aid batteries have decent charge retention, you should be able to rely on them throughout the day. 

Unlike last-gen devices, you also won’t need to worry about overcharging the battery, so feel free to charge your hearing aids overnight to ensure they are fully charged the next day. If you need to replace the batteries at any time, make sure you know how to remove the case safely and install the batteries with clean hands to prevent debris blocking the connection.

Keep them safe 

While hearing aids are designed to be as durable as possible, they are still small and delicate electronics. Because of this, you must keep them safe when not using them. Keep them away from children or pets, and store them in a secure container when you are not wearing them. 

Modern hearing aids will come with a small charging pod, which will provide security overnight and during transport. This case will also prevent debris from blocking the microphone and speaker system and protect them from moisture and heat. 

Get in touch 

To learn more about caring for your hearing aid or find out more information about Sommerville Audiology & Hearing Aid Center, get in touch with one of our offices to speak to a member of our team and book an appointment. For the Tarentum area, call (724) 224-6811, and anyone closer to Vandergrift can get in touch on 586-298-3788.