Your hearing aids should improve your hearing right? When your hearing aid fails at its one job, it can be really frustrating. Fortunately, your hearing aids should have no trouble doing their job if you properly maintain them.
Before you do anything drastic, consider this list. It might be time to come in and talk with us if you find it isn’t one of these ordinary problems. Your hearing might have changed, for instance, or you might need a hearing aid recalibration.
Potential Pitfall: Low Batteries
While hearing aid batteries have gotten significantly smaller and lifespans are getting better, the batteries still need to be replaced occasionally or recharged. That means that it’s important to keep up with your hearing aids’ batteries. The first thing you need to do if your hearing aid begins to fail or cut in and out is check the battery.
The fix: Keep ‘em Fresh
A battery tester is a practical investment, especially if you like to stock up. Even if you keep batteries sealed until you need to use them, always a good idea, 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: Wait five minutes after you open new batteries before you put them in your hearing aids. This gives the zinc time to activate, 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 person to stay on top of earwax, your hearing aids are going to collect debris and dirt. If you’re able to hear but sounds seem distorted or a bit off, dirt may be the cause.
The fix: Clean ‘em Out—And Keep Them Clean!
There are plenty of products available 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 computer screen or cellphone, to wipe your hearing aid down after taking it apart.
Simple hygiene habits will really help with keeping your hearing aids clean. Whenever you do something that calls for liquid or dampness, such as washing your face or styling your hair, take your hearing aids out and make certain your hands are dry when handling them.
Potential Pitfall: Trapped Moisture
Even a little bit of moisture can really damage your hearing aid (think sweating, not snorkeling). Even humidity in the air can be a problem, clogging up the hearing aid’s air vents or draining more quickly. Problems ranging from distortion to static or even crackling may happen depending on how much moisture is inside. They may even appear to quit altogether.
The fix: Keep Them Dry
Keep the battery door open when you store your hearing aid overnight and any longer than that, take the battery out. It takes almost no effort and guarantees that air can move, and any trapped moisture can escape.
A cool, dry place is the best spot to keep your hearing aids. Don’t store them in the kitchen or bathroom. Storing them in the bathroom may seem convenient but there’s just too much moisture. You will likely want to get a hearing aid storage box if you live in an overly humid climate. Pricier models plug in, but less expensive models use desiccants or gels (yes, like those “throw away do not eat” packets you find in the box when you purchase a pair of shoes) to take in moisture.
If you’ve tried all of these and none of them are helping then it might be time for you to give us a call.