Your hearing aids should improve your hearing right? When your hearing aid fails at its one job, it can be really frustrating. Luckily, your hearing aids should have no trouble doing their job if you properly maintain them.
Before you do anything extreme, look at this list. If it’s not one of these ordinary issues, it may be time to pay us a visit to ensure there isn’t a larger issue. Your hearing may have changed, for instance, or you might need a hearing aid recalibration.
Potential Pitfall: Low Batteries
While hearing aid batteries have gotten considerably smaller and lifespans are improving, the batteries still need to be occasionally replaced or recharged. That means that it’s essential to keep up with your hearing aids’ batteries. The first thing you should do if your hearing aid begins to falter or cut in and out is check the battery.
The fix: Keep ‘em Fresh
Purchasing a battery tester, particularly if you like to stock up, is a worthwhile idea. Even if you keep batteries sealed until you need to use them, always a smart idea, they have a limited shelf life, and so the last batteries in that huge pack you bought months ago most likely won’t hold a charge as long as the first few did. Another trick: When you open new batteries, wait 5 minutes before installing them. This can help extend the battery life by allowing the zinc to become active.
Potential Pitfall: Gross Things Like Wax And Grime
Regardless of how clean you keep your ears, and if you have a hard time hearing, you’re much more likely than the average person to stay on top of earwax, your hearing aids are going to accumulate dirt and debris. If you’re able to hear but sounds seem distorted or slightly off, dirt might be the cause.
The fix: Clean Them Out—And Keep Them Clean!
You can purchase 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 components.
You can help stop your hearing aids from attracting excess filth by employing basic hygiene habits. Wash and dry your hands before you take care of your hearing aids, and take them out while you’re doing anything, such as washing up, styling your hair, or even shaving, that might put them at risk of being spritzed, sprayed, or splattered.
Potential Pitfall: Trapped Moisture
Moisture can wreak havoc on hearing aids, and it doesn’t take much to do so (you don’t need to be underwater, even a sweat can be a problem). Even humidity in the air can be an issue, blocking up the hearing aid’s air vents or causing batteries to drain more quickly. Depending on how much moisture’s entered, you may experience issues from sound distortion to static, to crackling. They could even seem to stop working.
The fix: Keep Them Dry
Make sure that when you store your hearing aids, the battery door is open; and if you’re storing them for longer than 24 hours, take out the batteries completely. Any captured moisture will be able to evaporate and air will be able to flow with almost no effort on your part.
A cool, dry place is the best spot to keep your hearing aids. Don’t store them in the kitchen or bathroom. Even though the latter is convenient, the steam from a hot shower is exactly what you don’t want. You will probably want to get a hearing aid storage box if you live in a very humid climate. More expensive models plug in, but less costly options use desiccants or gels (yes, like those “throw away do not eat” packets you find in the box when you purchase shoes) to absorb moisture.
None of these are working? It might be time to speak with us.