Your hearing aids should improve your hearing right? When they aren’t working properly, it can be thoroughly infuriating, it’s a real “You had ONE job” scenario. Fortunately, your hearing aids should have no problem doing their job if you properly maintain them.
Before you do anything extreme, go through this list. It may be time to come in and see us if you find it isn’t one of these ordinary problems. For instance, your hearing aids might need recalibration, or your hearing may have changed.
Potential Pitfall: Low Batteries
While hearing aid batteries have gotten significantly smaller and lifespans are improving, the batteries still need to be replaced occasionally or recharged. That means that it’s essential to maintain your hearing aids’ batteries. If it seems as if the sound is fading or cutting in and out, check your battery first.
The fix: Keep ‘em Fresh
A battery tester is a worthwhile investment, particularly if you like to stock up. Even if you keep batteries sealed until it’s time to use them, always a good plan, they have a limited shelf life, and so the last batteries in that giant pack you purchased months ago most likely won’t last 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: Grease, Grime, And Other Gross Stuff
Your hearing aids will accumulate dirt and debris no matter how clean you keep your ears and if you have trouble hearing you’re probably more conscientious about earwax. If you can hear but sounds seem distorted or slightly off, dirt may be the cause.
The fix: Clean Them Out—And Keep Them Clean!
There are lots of products on the market specifically for cleaning hearing aids, but you can DIY it with things you already have around the house. 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 involves liquid or moisture, like cleaning your face or styling your hair, take your hearing aids out and make sure your hands aren’t wet when handling them.
Potential Pitfall: Trapped Moisture
Moisture can be a real problem for hearing aids, and it doesn’t take very much to do so (think working up a sweat, not snorkeling). Even humidity in the air can be a problem, clogging up the hearing aid’s air vents or draining faster. Depending on how much moisture’s entered, you may experience problems from sound distortion to static, to crackling. They may even seem to shut down.
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 overnight, take out the batteries entirely. It takes almost zero effort and guarantees that air can circulate, and any trapped moisture can get out.
Store hearing aids in a cool, dry place. Don’t store them in the kitchen or bathroom. Storing them in the bathroom might seem convenient but there’s just too much moisture. You will most likely want to purchase a hearing aid storage box if you live in an overly humid environment. Most versions use a desiccant in the form of a little moisture absorbing packet, but some more costly 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 you to give us a call.