Your hearing aids should help you hear better right? When your hearing aid stops doing its job, it can be really frustrating. Luckily, your hearing aids should have no issue doing their job if you take proper care of them.
Before you do anything extreme, go through this list. It might be time to come in and talk with us if you find it’s not one of these common issues. Your hearing might have changed, for instance, or you might need a hearing aid recalibration.
Potential Pitfall: Low Batteries
Hearing aid batteries, while improving in quality, still need to be recharged or replaced occasionally. So keeping up with charging your batteries is important. If it seems like the sound is diminishing or cutting in and out, check your battery first.
The fix: Keep ‘em Fresh
A battery tester is a beneficial investment, especially if you like to stock up. Even if you keep batteries sealed until it’s time to use them, always a smart idea, they have a limited shelf life, and so the last batteries in that giant pack you purchased months ago likely won’t hold a charge as long as the first few did. Another trick: Wait five minutes after you open new batteries before you put them in your hearing aids. This gives the zinc time to become active, and can potentially help the batteries last longer.
Potential Pitfall: Gross Things Like Wax And Grime
No matter how clean you keep your ears, and if you have difficulty hearing, you’re a lot more likely than the average individual to pay attention to earwax, your hearing aids are going to gather dirt and debris. If you’re able to hear but sounds seem distorted or a bit off, dirt could be the cause.
The fix: Clean ‘em Out—And Keep Them Clean!
You can get a kit for cleaning your hearing aids or you can use things you already have around the house to clean them. You can use a microfiber cloth, like the kind you use to clean your cellphone or glasses, to wipe your hearing aid down after disassembling it.
Simple hygiene habits will really help with keeping your hearing aids clean. Whenever you do something that calls for liquid or moisture, such as cleaning your face or styling your hair, take your hearing aids out and make sure your hands are dry when handling them.
Potential Pitfall: Trapped Moisture
Even a small amount of moisture can really damage your hearing aid (you don’t need to be submerged, even a sweat can be an issue). The vent in the hearing aid and the battery can even be effected by humidity in the air. Depending on how much moisture’s entered, you might experience issues from sound distortion to static, to crackling. They may even seem to shut down.
The fix: Keep ‘em Dry
Keep the battery door open when you store your hearing aid overnight and any longer than that, remove the battery. It takes almost zero effort and ensures that air can move, and any captured moisture can escape.
Store hearing aids in a cool, dry spot. Don’t store them in the kitchen or bathroom. Keeping them in the bathroom might seem convenient but there’s just too much moisture. You will probably want to purchase a hearing aid storage box if you live in a very humid environment. Most versions use a desiccant in the form of a small moisture absorbing packet, but some more expensive versions get rid of moisture with electronics.
If you’ve tried all of these and none of them are helping then it may be time for a consultation with us.
