Your hearing aids should help you hear better right? When they aren’t working correctly, it can be downright frustrating, it’s a total “You had ONE job” scenario. Luckily, your hearing aids should have no trouble doing their job if you take proper care of them.
Before you do anything extreme, look at this list. If it’s not one of these common issues, it might be time to schedule an appointment with us to ensure there isn’t a larger issue. For instance, your hearing aids might need recalibration, or your hearing could have changed.
Potential Pitfall: Low Batteries
While hearing aid batteries have gotten dramatically smaller and lifespans are getting better, the batteries still need to be occasionally replaced or recharged. So staying on top of charging your batteries is important. The first thing you need to do if your hearing aid begins to falter or cut in and out is check the battery.
The fix: Keep ‘em Fresh
A battery tester is a beneficial investment, especially if you like to stock up. Batteries have a shelf life so the last batteries in the pack may not have as much voltage as the first few even if they stay sealed. Another trick: Wait five minutes after you unpack new batteries before you put them in your hearing aids. This can help extend the battery life by allowing the zinc to activate.
Potential Pitfall: Grease, Grime, And Other Gross Stuff
Your hearing aids will accumulate debris and dirt no matter how clean you keep your ears and if you have problems hearing you’re probably more conscientious about earwax. If you can hear but sounds seem distorted or slightly off, dirt might 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 items 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 disassembling it.
You can help stop your hearing aids from accumulating excess grime by practicing simple hygiene habits. Clean and dry your hands before you handle your hearing aids, and take them out while you’re doing things, like washing your face, styling your hair, or even shaving, that might put them at risk of being spritzed, sprayed, or splashed.
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 deep-sea diving). Even humidity in the air can be an issue, clogging up the hearing aid’s air vents or draining faster. Problems ranging from distortion to static or even crackling might happen depending on how much moisture has gotten in. They may even seem to quit altogether.
The fix: Keep ‘em Dry
Make sure that when you store your hearing aids, you open the battery door; and if you’re taking them out for longer than overnight, take out the batteries completely. Any captured moisture will be able to evaporate and air will be able to flow with almost no effort on your part.
Store hearing aids in a cool, dry spot. Don’t keep them in the kitchen or bathroom. Even though the latter is convenient, the steam from a hot shower is exactly what you don’t want. If you live in a humid environment, you may want to consider investing in a hearing aid storage box. Pricier models plug in, but less expensive options use desiccants or gels (yes, like those “throw away do not eat” packets you find in the box when you purchase shoes) to absorb 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.