Your hearing aids represent a significant investment of both time and money. You probably have spent many hours in your audiologist’s office to identify your exact type and degree of hearing loss, select the perfect device for your needs and get the programming just right. Because of this, you’ll want to take great care of your devices.
Below we review how to care for your devices on a daily basis as well as some common hearing aid problems and how to troubleshoot them.
Regular Cleaning Schedule
After removing your hearing aids each night, the first thing you should do is wipe them down with a soft, dry cloth.
Inspect the part of your hearing aid that sits in your ear canal. If there’s any buildup of earwax, remove it with a brush, wax pick or wire loop. These tools can be purchased at LeMay Hearing & Balance or at a drugstore such as Sierra Compounding Pharmacy.
Next, open the battery doors and store the devices somewhere safe, ideally in their case. Opening the battery allows any moisture that has accumulated throughout the day to evaporate and also improves battery life.
If you can’t remove stubborn wax during your nightly cleaning, try again in the morning once it’s dried out and flaky. Hold the hearing aid so the wax falls out rather than in as you’re removing it.
If you have a type of hearing aid with a wax guard, change it as needed.
Troubleshooting Common Problems
Below are some common hearing aid problems and how to fix them.
- If your device seems to be dead, first change the battery. If that doesn’t work, check for blockages. You may need to clean the device or replace the wax guard.
- If sounds are coming through muffled or soft, the sound outlet or microphone port may be clogged. Again, check for blockages and clean the device. If cleaning doesn’t help, your hearing may have changed.
- If you hear whistling or feedback, you may have an earwax blockage in your ear or the device isn’t placed properly. Try reinserting your device.
If you try these solutions and they don’t work, it’s important to bring your devices to your audiologist right away. We can deep clean your devices, perform other routine maintenance and make sure there are no blockages in your ears or changes to your hearing.
For more information or to schedule an appointment with a hearing aid expert, call LeMay Hearing & Balance today.
Learn More About Hearing
- How to Adjust to Your New Hearing Aids
- How Long Do Hearing Aids Last?
- How to Raise a Child with Hearing Loss
Call LeMay Hearing & Balance at (775) 323-5566 for more information or to schedule an appointment.