Hearing aids are a life-changing investment that can allow you to lead an easier and more practical day to day routine. Having hearing aids that work can help you to communicate with others, hear warning signs of danger, understand the television or radio. So, it’s not all too surprising that anyone with hearing aids is going to want to take care of this important piece of equipment as best as possible.

Avoiding damage to your hearing aid will mean less time without your hearing aid while they’re being repaired and can also maintain your hearing aid’s performance and quality. The good news is that there are steps you can take to maintain your hearing aids and maximize their life.

How Hearing Aid Maintenance Can Help You Avoid Repairs

Hearing aids are an item that you’re likely to use every day, meaning that they go through a fair amount of wear and tear. Certain use can accelerate damage, so it’s important to maintain your hearing aids to the best of your ability to avoid this. Good maintenance can help your hearing aids work more effectively and last longer.

Check In with Your Audiologist

Whether you are concerned about your hearing aid’s performance or you simply want to check that they are working as well as they should be, you should check in with your audiologist. They’ll be able to conduct a full check of your hearing aid, ensuring that it is up to scratch.

Avoid Exposure to Moisture

All too many people expose their hearing aids to moisture, when this should be avoided at all costs. Sure, it’s common sense to avoid wearing your hearing aids in the shower or when swimming. But people don’t tend to realize the damage that can occur when your hearing aid is exposed to harder-to-avoid issues, such as heavy rain, splashes and spills. Few hearing aids are fully waterproof and exposure to water, in any capacity, can negatively impact their performance.

Clean Out Earwax

This is a completely natural process. However, if you wear your hearing aids for long enough without cleaning them, you can find that wax accumulates inside them. Excessive levels of wax building up in your hearing aids can negatively impact performance. You should make sure to read the manufacturer’s guide, or consult your audiologist, to find out how to properly clean the wax out of your hearing aids regularly.

Store Your Hearing Aids Safely

You need to make sure that you store your hearing aids safely while you’re not using them. A lot of damage occurs when hearing aids are left in locations where they may be knocked off surfaces, sat on, dropped or other issues. It’s recommended that you invest in a storage case or box for your hearing aids to keep them safe.

Avoid Hairspray and Similar Hair Products

A threat to hearing aids that few people consider is the use of sticky hair products that could come into contact with the aids while you’re wearing them. Try to avoid products such as hairspray, gel, wax and more that can block up your aids and impact their performance.

As you can see, proper maintenance of your hearing aids is extremely important, especially if you want to avoid having to fork out for repairs. If you have any questions or want to learn more, make sure to contact your audiologist, who will be able to help you further.