Top 4 Tips To Care For Your Hearing Aids

According to the Hearing Loss Association of America, 48 million people within the country suffer some degree of hearing loss. Fortunately, individuals who have trouble hearing can visit their local audiologist and get fitted for a pair of hearing aids. It may take a week or so for the hearing aids to arrive, but once they do, you'll need to know how to properly care for them. This reduces the chance that you'll have to replace them before the typical five to seven year life span is up. 

Have Plenty of Back-Up Batteries

While your hearing aid itself may last several years, the batteries go quickly. Starkey Hearing Technologies reports that the typical lifespan of a hearing aid battery is just three to twenty-two days. You may want to purchase a battery tester and check on the life of the battery every few days. Keeping an extra set of back-up batteries in your purse or vehicle is an excellent idea as well, so you have a replacement if the batteries die in the middle of running your errands. 

Know When to Take Your Hearing Aids Out

Your main goal should be to keep your hearing aids clean and working properly. This means removing the hearing aids when there is a chance they could come in contact with a substance that could clog their components. The next time you plan to use hairspray, protect yourself with bug spray, or slather on some moisturizing lotion, remove the hearing aids first just to be safe. 

Gently Clean the Hearing Aids on a Regular Basis

When you pick up your hearing aids, your audiologist will most likely give you both a little cloth and a tiny brush to use to clean them. This is because ear wax can get in the ear mold and there's always a chance for dust or small pieces of dirt to do the same. Simply dampen the cloth and wipe down the hearing aid at the end of each day. The brush can also be used, but it is important that you never wash or get the hearing aids wet. That also means you can't wear them in the shower, pool, or ocean. 

Store the Hearing Aids in a Case When Not in Use

There are a few reasons you'll want to put your hearing aids in a case when you're not using them. First, the case will keep dust and dirt from entering the hearing aids. Second, the cases provided by your doctor will keep the aids dry so they don't get damaged by moisture. Finally, the cases prevent the hearing aids from harm when accidentally dropped. 

For more information, you will want to contact a company such as Jacobs Clinical Diagnostics.