Tips to Help Your Hearing Aids Last Longer

If you have taken the leap and invested in hearing aids, you are most likely discovering how much these tiny devices enhance your life. You no longer need to suffer through conversations pretending or struggling to understand. You are most likely regaining your sense of independence, allowing you to pursue your interests and hobbies. If you love your new hearing aids then you are probably wondering how to get the most life out of them. Most hearing aids operate their best for 5-7 years. That is a lot to ask from these advanced and fragile devices, which you ideally wear most waking hours, day after day. The better you take care of your hearing aids the more you can get out of them. Here are a few tips that will ensure you get the most out of your hearing aids.

Keep Your Hearing Aids Clean

As you can imagine, wearing your hearing aids everyday, they can gather dirt, debris, earwax and more. When you keep up with regular cleanings your hearing aids will last much longer and sound clearer. All it takes is five minutes at the end of every day to keep your hearing aids clean. You can add this to your nighttime hygiene routine. Wipe your hearing aids with a soft dry cloth to remove debris. For earwax build up you can use a pointed but rounded tool to gently remove blockages. Flush any tubing on your hearing aids once a week with warm water and let them dry overnight. Clean the batteries and leave the battery door open overnight to stop the batteries from draining. When you keep up with this ritual you will minimize repairs over the years.

Keep Your Hearing Aids Away from Moisture.

While many hearing aids today are water resistant, no hearing aid is completely waterproof. Moisture can wear out the electronic components of hearing aids quickly if sweat and humidity is allowed to accumulate. To combat this, invest in a dehumidifying case for your hearing aids. After you clean your hearing aids at night, place them in the dehumidifying case overnight to remove any moisture that collected during the day.

Not only will this make your hearing aids last longer but if you do have a mishap like a hearing aid dropped in a puddle, an accidental jump in the pool or caught in the rain, you dehumidifying case can help dry out your hearing aids as quickly as possible.

Take Care of Your Battery

The battery of your hearing aid provides the power that allows you to hear. Traditionally, hearing aid batteries need to be replaced every couple of days. To get the most out of your battery open the battery door at night. This disconnects the power from your battery, which stops the drain of power over night. Today many hearing aids are now using rechargeable batteries. This eliminates the hassle of having to replace your battery. However to get the most out of a rechargeable battery it is important to charge it overnight. It's important to charge them every day so that the batteries don't fully deplete. A fully depleted battery takes longer to charge, so it may not be fully charged when you really need it.

Stay on a Hearing Aid Service Schedule

Like any technology if you keep up with maintenance, they will last much longer. Hearing aids are no different.  If you are noticing that your hearing aids are not performing as well as they used to make sure to make an appointment to have them serviced.

Our practice can diagnose most hearing aid issues so you can hear at your clearest. Sometimes the problem is one that requires the original manufacturer. In this case we can help you send your hearing aid in to make sure it is operating at its peak. Sometimes problems with your hearing aids are actually signs of hearing decline.

Hearing aids help you hear but do not prevent changes in your hearing. It is a good idea to visit us every six months to make sure that your hearing aids are appropriately set for your hearing needs. We will make sure that your hearing aids are working at the peak performance so you can stay connected to the life you love.