How to Maintain ITE Hearing Aids

When it comes to hearing aid maintenance, knowing how to look after them is essential for your continued ability to hear. An appointment with an audiologist is one of the best things that you can arrange so that your hearing aids are well-maintained and working correctly. You need to know how to take care of them properly, and with the right advice, you can ensure that your hearing aids are comfortable and working well.

How to look after your hearing aids

Hearing aids are tiny and discreet most of the time. The in-the-ear hearing aids especially are technology in miniature, and these little machines are giving you the continued ability to hear. 

With powerful technology, they are fragile – and yet incredibly sturdy. With the right techniques for cleaning and handling, you can ensure that our hearing aids are well-maintained at all times. Some of the things that you can do to maintain your hearing aids properly include:

• When you take out your hearing aids to shower or to clean them, you need to place them on a soft, clean cloth. This will stop your hearing aids from being scratched and damaged while you are getting them sorted out. If you use a white or pale-colored cloth, you can ensure that you can still see all of the smaller parts of the hearing aid as you take it apart to clean it. 
• Hearing aids are water-resistant, but that doesn't mean that they are waterproof. You shouldn't wear them in the shower, the sauna or the pool if you want to keep them working to their best. 
• Your ears should always be dry when you put in your hearing aids. If you leave them wet, you will find them muffled and dull when you hear through them. 
• You should always take out your hearing aids if you are headed for an x-ray, MRI or CT scan, too, as there are small metal parts inside that can act as magnets.
• If you are using hairspray and cosmetics, you need to consider only using them when you're not wearing your hearing aids.

Hearing aid storage

Cleaning your hearing aids is one thing but drying them and storing them properly is the next step to maintaining your in-the-ear hearing aids. Make sure that all parts of the hearing aids are dry at all times when you put them back in. Even the tiniest traces of moisture will damage them and can stop them from working. You should never blow dry a hearing aid or try to warm it with heat, as the tiny parts of the hearing aid will distort and become damaged. Here's how to dry your hearing aids properly:

• A drying box or pouch can be used to dry your hearing aids properly. Storing them in a drying box at night will help to keep them from damage, and you should always leave the battery compartment out of the box when you are drying it. Using a UV light to ensure that they are immaculate is a must, too. 
• Keep them out of the reach of pets and children when you are cleaning them – you don't want to find that pieces are missing as they can be expensive to replace.

Cleaning your hearing aids

Cleaning your hearing aids is something that you need to do daily. It's not hard, and it doesn't take very long, and cleaning in the ear hearing aids is easier than you think. An ITE hearing aid has a filter system that prevents wax from getting inside it, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't clean it properly every day. A dry, soft cloth will work to clean the outside of the hearing aid, but you need to make sure that no liquid gets into it while you are cleaning it. The audiologists you see will show you how to remove the filter system that should be changed regularly. You should check your hearing aids daily for any marks and wipe those off, but don't use any alcohol or cleaners. You should also stay away from using anything sharp to clean your hearing aids, as you can damage the most intricate parts.

Changing the batteries

Another piece of the maintenance puzzle is in changing the batteries, and you should ensure that you only use batteries designed for your particular in the ear hearing aids. This is to ensure that no further damage can be done. 

Booking an audiologist appointment is the first step, and you can learn more about hearing aid maintenance, or get more information on our hearing aids, when you book with El Paso Hearing Aid & Audiology Center. Call today at 915-532-6935.