Care Tips for Rechargeable Hearing Aids

Hearing aids are wonderful devices and can help us to live a fuller life when diagnosed with a hearing condition. Hearing aids are more portable than many decades ago, and rechargeable hearing aids have become a popular, maintenance version as they don't require you to make additional purchases to maintain your hearing out such as hearing aid batteries.

Rechargeable hearing aids are easy to use but they require a few different approaches in how you care for them. There are two types of rechargeable hearing aids, silver-zinc which are hearing aids with a battery door; and lithium-ion which come without a battery door.

Keeping silver-zinc batteries healthy

• When you don't use your hearing aids, put them in the charging station.
• Don't put your hearing aids in an unplugged charging station as this will drain the batteries.
• When you aren't using your hearing aids, do not open the battery door. 

Keeping lithium-ion batteries healthy

• Put the hearing aids in the charging station when they are not in use.
• Don’t put your hearing aids in an unplugged charging station as this will drain the batteries.
• Turn the hearing aids off and store them in a safe place if you are not using your hearing aids for an extended period.

Preventing earwax

One of the most common problems with a hearing aid is earwax. It is the most common cause of hearing aid repairs. While earwax is normal in the ear canal and is an important biological function, this can cause significant problems for our hearing aids as it can settle on important components of the device. To make sure you prevent earwax; you need to do the following:

• Clean your hearing aid every day to prevent wax build-up. Get into the habit of wiping off the hearing aid every morning and only when the wax has dried up, as this is easier to remove.
• Do not wipe anything onto the microphone ports, such as debris or wax.
• Look after the hearing aid tubing by cleaning it regularly to prevent wax build-up. 

Reducing exposure to water

• If accidental immersion in a bath or swimming pool happens, contact your hearing aid provider right away. 
• Reducing exposure to water is critical. If you plan on going swimming or near large bodies of water, you should remove the hearing aid and store them in a storage case and keep it somewhere cool to avoid any condensation.
• If you take a shower first thing in the morning, it's important to get into a routine to prevent any accidents or mishaps. It's a good idea to get into the habit of leaving hearing aids in the storage case until after you have showered.
• Protecting the hearing aids from moisture is also important. You need to remove condensation in the tubing by using a tube blower to force the moisture out of the tubing.

Avoiding physical damage

It is also important to protect your hearing aids so they will last longer. Ensure they are out of the reach of children and pets, especially dogs as they can be drawn to the frequency and the human scent. If there is any damage, ensure you gather all the components of the hearing aid and schedule an appointment with an audiologist as soon as possible to get it fixed. 

Looking after your hearing aid is critical. If you look after your hearing aid, very simply, it will look after you. While rechargeable hearing aids are a lot more popular these days because they are low maintenance, if you have made the transition from non-rechargeable hearing aids or you need to know how to look after them better, these tips will give you a basic grounding.

However, when it comes to rechargeable hearing aids, it's always a good idea to ask if you don't know how you should look after them. Booking an appointment with an audiologist can help you to get some insight on how to look after your hearing aids better, not just in terms of the cleaning and habits, but also how you can use them better in your everyday life.

A hearing aid can be something that makes a massive difference to people's lives which is why you need to make sure that you look after your rechargeable hearing aid effectively. If you want any more information you can get in contact with Audiology and Hearing Aid Services at 912-351-3038.