Do Hearing Aids Need Regular Maintenance?

There’s no denying that hearing aids are innovative, life-changing devices. They offer a whole host of benefits to people that experience some degree of hearing loss, and hearing aids help those individuals feel more confident in social settings.

Hearing aids are very small devices that contain a lot of powerful technology, so it’s only right that those who use them should do what it takes to care for them. While hearing aids need regular maintenance, the work involved can easily be included in your daily routines.

Why Do Hearing Aids Need Regular Maintenance?

When you first get fitted for new hearing aids, your audiologist will explain how to look after them. You’ll also get instructed on how often you should care for your hearing aids. Still, you might be wondering why you need to carry out regular maintenance on your hearing aids:

Longevity

Hearing aids are undoubtedly an essential investment for improving hearing loss. Your audiologist will arrange for tailor-made hearing aids to get constructed for your use, essentially making them one of a kind.

That’s why you must take actionable steps to ensure their longevity. Regular maintenance is the best way to keep hearing aids working for as long as possible.

Efficiency

Did you know that, despite their small size, hearing aids contain a lot of innovative technology? Today’s hearing aids, from ITE (in-the-ear) and BTE (behind-the-ear), through to ITC (in-the-canal), contain a lot of powerful yet sensitive technology.

Lack of maintenance can cause the efficiency of those components to diminish significantly. With that in mind, regular maintenance makes perfect sense to ensure efficient operation at all times.

What Type of Maintenance Should You Do?

Now that you know the importance of regular maintenance, which maintenance tasks must you perform on your hearing aids, and when should you carry them out? Hearing aid maintenance generally falls into daily and weekly categories.

Daily Maintenance

Each morning, you should use a soft, lint-free cloth to wipe the exterior of your hearing aids before you fit them in your ears. Before wearing your hearing aids, you must also ensure you’ve got no earwax build-up in your ears, as earwax can block the devices.

In the evening, you need to remove the batteries from the hearing aids shortly before you go to bed and place them in the manufacturer-supplied charging dock. You should also put the devices to one side, leaving the battery compartment doors open to dry out any moisture.

Weekly Maintenance

At least once a week, it makes sense to use your cleaning cloth, along with an earwax pick and a soft brush to clean the internal sections of your hearing aids. Your audiologist can sell you the tools you need, although they usually get supplied with new hearing aids.

What to Avoid

Never clean your hearing aids with water, alcohol-based cleaning solutions, or any other fluid. Only use cleaning solutions approved by your audiologist.

Maintenance is an essential aspect of hearing aid ownership. The good news is maintaining hearing aids is simple and is a task that’s easy for most people to do.