Maintenance Tips to Help You Avoid Hearing Aid Repairs

Hearing aid repairs can be expensive. They also prevent you from using your assistive hearing devices for a while. It pays, therefore, to adequately maintain your hearing aids during regular usage. But how?

In this article, we’re going to take an in-depth look at some of the ways that you can maintain your hearing aids and avoid costly and time-consuming repairs.

Remove any earwax buildup and clean

Earwax is a sticky substance that builds up in the ears designed to remove dust and other particles from the ear canal. Wearing a hearing aid regularly can, however, interrupt this process, causing excess earwax to cover the sensitive eardrum-facing end of the device. Earwax, if left unchecked, can cause damage to the speaker and infiltrate the device, leading to wear and damage.

Hearing health professionals recommend that people who use hearing aids clean off any excess wax daily, paying particular attention to any buildup on the wax guard. You can check the in-ear section of your hearing aid and locate the wax guard and then remove any excess wax which may have built up.

Take your hearing aid off before going near water

Just like any electronic device, hearing aids do not mix well with water. Although some manufacturers claim that their devices are water-resistant, water-resistance is not the same as being waterproof. Water-resistant hearing aids can withstand rain and sweat, but not full submersion in water.

Regularly change your earwax filter

The earwax filter is a small piece of material that sits over the end of a hearing aid speaker. These filters prevent wax from infiltrating the device through open sections (for instance, the hole through which the speaker delivers sound to the eardrum). Earwax filters, however, can sometimes become encrusted in earwax, and in some circumstances, small bits of earwax debris can migrate into the interior of the device, potentially leading to damage to the sensitive components inside.

Most manufacturers make it easy to clean the earwax filter by making it removable. If you notice any earwax or debris on the filter, carefully remove it and then replace the filter, ready to use again.

Be gentle when handling your hearing aid

Thanks to improvements in internal components and housing materials, hearing aids have become more robust over the years. And newer designs, such as completely-in-the-ear-canal and in-the-ear, protect the devices by placing them entirely within the ear canal, with minimal external components. Even so, it’s still important to handle your hearing aids with care. Hearing aids, particularly behind-the-ear varieties, are prone to damage.

Make cleaning routine

Cleaning your hearing aid should become as automatic as cleaning your teeth. It’s a good idea to create a cleaning schedule around your daily routine. Most people wash their hearing aids when they take them out before going to bed. Having a cloth and cleaning implements on your bedside table, for instance, will encourage you to maintain your hearing aid daily before you go to sleep. If you’re unsure about any aspect of hearing aid maintenance, then speak with a hearing health professional.