4 Care Tips to Prevent Hearing Aid Repairs

Knowing how to care for and maintain your hearing aid properly can help you make sure you get the best performance from your hearing aid and extend its lifespan. A hearing aid can help regain any loss of hearing through an accident, from age-related causes or health conditions.

When you get your hearing aid fitted, your audiologist will talk to you about how to properly care for your hearing aid. Reducing the damage caused to your hearing aid by improper care or use can lead to your hearing aid needing repairs or replacing altogether.

We look at four care tips to help prevent hearing aid repairs from allowing you to get the best from your new hearing and be confident you are caring for it correctly.

Turn off when not in use.

If you remove your hearing aid to sleep or for any other reason, make sure it is turned off. Poor battery life or corroded batteries from moisture can cause damage to your hearing and lead to repairs. Keep your hearing aid battery in good condition by opening the battery compartment door to avoid draining the battery when not in use. If you are not going to be using your hearing aid for a prolonged period, take the batteries out completely.

Avoid using chemical or products when wearing your hearing aid

Perfumes, hairspray, creams and other products can affect the hearing aid. These products can get inside the hearing aid and damage it, making it less effective and more likely to need repairs. Put your hearing aid in after using any beauty or hair care products to avoid them causing unwanted damage. Make sure your hands are clean when fitting your hearing aid to avoid transfer and build a product on the device, affecting how well it works.

Clean regularly

Remove any earwax build up before wearing your hearing aid both on the device itself and in your ear. Use a wax pick to remove any earwax build-up effectively and safely on your device. Leaving and build-up can damage your hearing and reduce its efficiency, as well as open you up to an increased risk of damage to your ear and the hearing aid itself. If you are worried about an earwax build-up, consult your audiologist for further advice on managing excess wax and proper ear care.

Keep your hearing aid dry

Moisture can damage the electronics inside of your hearing aid. While there are few fully waterproof hearing aids allowing you to get them wet safely, most hearing aids are not waterproof. Make sure to remove your hearing aid with dry hands and avoid leaving it in rooms likely to cause moisture on the aid, such as bathrooms. When removing your hearing aids, place them on a dry surface or cloth to avoid causing excess damage and store them away as soon as possible to keep them safe.

Proper care and maintenance can help you keep your hearing aid in its best possible condition and avoid hearing aid repairs. If you are worried about any damage caused to your hearing aid, speak to your audiologist about arranging for repairs it might need as soon as you can to avoid making any damage worse.