4 Tips to Prevent Hearing Aid Repairs

Your hearing aid helps keep you safe and connected to those around you. It also makes your life easier and increases your quality of life. Dealing with device malfunctions can leave you without a hearing aid for days or weeks if the repairs are extensive. While it is impossible to prevent ever needing hearing aid repairs, there are steps you can take to prevent being without your hearing aid for too long or visiting your audiologist more than necessary. Taking proper care of your device can lengthen its life and keep your daily life going along smoothly.

Store your device in a dry place

It may be easy to forget that your hearing aid is a piece of electronic technology because you use it so often. It may be very small, but it contains a lot of intricate circuitry. If it is exposed to moisture, it can damage the sensitive technology inside.

Hearing aids are designed to be water-resistant to help protect them, but you should still try to avoid moisture as much as possible and store them in a dry place. You should take them out when you are showering, swimming or participating in other water-based activities. If they do happen to get wet, dry them immediately with a towel. Do not use a hairdryer because the heat can be just as damaging. There are even special hearing aid dehumidifiers that will keep your device at optimal temperatures if you live in a humid climate.

Regular maintenance

You should also make sure that you perform the proper maintenance that your hearing aid requires. The most often needed maintenance will be the changing of the batteries. If you leave batteries in your device too long, it can damage it. The trapped moisture can corrode the batteries and damage the device. If you are not using your device, open the battery door or even remove the battery to make sure it can dry out. Whenever you change the batteries, clean the contacts by gently wiping them with a dry cotton swab. If these contacts get dirty, it can cause your device to underperform.

Cleaning regularly

You can also make sure that your device stays clean for it to function properly. Earwax is one of the prominent causes of hearing aid issues. It will come in contact with earwax because it sits in your ear, and that is why it is important to regularly clean your device. Each day, you should take a dry cotton swab or soft toothbrush and remove any debris on the outside of the device.

You should also take care to replace the wax filter or wax guard regularly. This filter is necessary because it keeps the wax from getting inside the device and clogging up the small components. Whenever you start to see build-up on the filter, you should change it. All devices do not use the same filters, so be sure that you are getting the right filter for your device.

Even if you are careful to clean your device at home, it will still need a professional deep cleaning occasionally. Taking it in to be cleaned is a good idea every four to six months or immediately if there is an issue with the device.

Handle delicately

Even though hearing aids are very durable, they are still small and should be handled with care. Hold on to them securely so they are not dropped and set them on a soft surface when cleaning. You should be sure to store them in a safe place out of reach of children or animals.