Hearing Center - Taking Care of your Listening Aid

While glasses, contacts, wheelchairs, and other aids for people in disadvantaged circumstances are easily covered by health insurance, listening aids one might buy at a hearing center seldom are. Why this gulf exists is anyone's guess, but it behooves the owner of one of these aids to take good care of them. This will not only ensure maximum function on a day-to-day basis, but may also help to extend the lifespan of the device. When you look at the cost of some of these devices, you'll see why that is something to be interested in doing. Here are some steps you can take to ensure that your listening aid lasts a long time.

Nightly Cleaning

There's no better time to clean your listening aid than just before you go to bed in the evening. Few people care to wear their listening aid to sleep, so take it out before bed and take the ear mold off the device. There are good wax removal formulas that will work well to clean the mold piece. Use this in conjunction with a good wax removal wire and make sure it is good and clean. This will prevent a buildup, which will be more difficult and tiresome to remove.

Condensation

Condensation can cause a lot of problems with a listening aid. It builds up naturally due to heat and moisture. When you clean your listening aid at night, keep an eye out for it. The tubing in the ear mold is the most likely place for it to develop. There are special devices known as ear mold air blowers that you can use to evaporate this condensation. Just stick the tip of the blower inside the tubing and give it five or ten puffs of air. This should be sufficient to remove the condensation. If at any time during a day's wear you notice that you aren't getting the sound you got when you bought your aid from the hearing center, take it out and look for this condensation.

Batteries

Change your batteries regularly. Batteries aren't particularly expensive, so there's no reason to wait until they die completely to change them. You're only depriving yourself of the full measure of the aid's power when you wait for them to wear out. When you change the batteries, examine the compartment for any signs of rust or corrosion. If you find them, remove them immediately, as they can contribute to a weaker aid. Ask your hearing center to provide you with tips on how to remove this corrosion if you aren't sure of the method.