When well taken care of, hearing aids should last five to seven years. In order to preserve their lifespan and ensure your devices provide years of good hearing, it’s important to be aware of what kind of damage hearing aids are susceptible to and how to avoid it. Below we review common hearing aid problems and how to prevent them.
Impacted Earwax
Your hearing aids live in your ears and are subjected to earwax, dirt, sweat and oils. Because of this, they need to be cleaned daily. If not, earwax and other debris can become impacted inside the microphone port or the speaker.
Follow this daily cleaning regimen:
- To clean the shell, wipe it down with a soft, dry cloth. Never use chemical cleaners unless they’re specifically formulated for hearing aids. For stubborn debris, you can use a soft brush like a clean toothbrush.
- To clean the microphone, use the brush to sweep away debris. Turn the hearing aids upside-down so debris falls out instead of in. Never poke anything into the microphone port.
- To clean the receiver, use a wax pick/wire loop to scoop the wax out. Be gentle so you don’t damage your devices. Some styles have a wax guard over the receiver which may need to be replaced periodically.
Moisture
Like any other technological device, hearing aids and moisture do not mix. If moisture builds up in the device, the sound quality can be affected, or the hearing aids may stop working altogether.
To avoid moisture buildup, open the battery doors of your devices when you take them out at night. You can also invest in a dehumidifier to store them in overnight.
If your devices fall into Lake Shawnee and are damaged by moisture, your audiologist can send them to the manufacturer for further examination and repairs.
Broken Tubing
The tubing of BTE devices can sometimes degrade over time, especially of debris becomes lodged in it and it stretches out. This problem is easy to resolve; your audiologist can replace the tubing quickly and easily in the office.
Broken Microphone
If your hearing aids aren’t working, it may be due to a broken microphone. Your audiologist can repair or replace the microphone in the office as well.
For more information about hearing aid maintenance or to schedule an appointment for repairs, call the experts at Topeka ENT today.