With all the wearable technological gadgets available in the market, wearing a hearing aid is no longer a taboo. For people with hearing issues, it’s manna from heaven! While they can’t move out of the house or start a conversation without the hearing aid, it is also essential to understand how to maintain a hearing aid. With a few maintenance tips, one can avoid going to the hearing clinic even for a minor issue.
Hearing aids have the capacity to transform sound waves into impulses that can be interpreted by the brain as coherent messages or pure music. There are numerous types of hearing aids including:
- Invisible in the canal.
- Completely in the canal.
- Receiver in the canal.
- Behind the ear.
- In the ear.
These different models are shaped and placed in different areas leading to unique maintenance issues. Though hearing aids have numerous functionalities like reducing feedback, allowing better phone conversations, wireless connectivity, data logging, and many more, there are some issues a regular hearing aid faces.
With these maintenance tips, one doesn’t need to rush to the hearing aid services in order to fix the glitch.
What can go wrong in a hearing aid?
Battery: The battery might go dead, be defective, and might have a short life. It is better to carry a spare battery, just in case.
Ear Wax build-up: This is the most common maintenance issue. To prevent clogging of the hearing aid with ear wax, it’s important that users clean their hearing aids at least once a day (ideally at the end of the day). Cleaning can be done with proper instruments like wax pick and a brush.
Exposure to water: Though some of the latest hearing aids are water resistant, it’s better to avoid exposure to water. It’s advisable not to use the hearing aid in a swimming pool, sauna, or while using a hair dryer.
Whistling/Feedback from Hearing aid: Ensure that the device is properly inserted. Ensure that there is no debris or blockage.
Trouble with the Telephone: Poor reception and presence of noise the issues. For this, one has to consult the hearing aid services.
Here are a few don’ts that you need to follow:
- Try not dropping the device.
- Don’t expose it to moisture.
- Don’t poke it with anything.
- Don’t clean the device without proper equipment.
- Don’t wear the device while swimming, in a sauna, and while applying a hair spray.
Hearing aids make the world a better place for those with hearing problems. Proper maintenance is of utmost importance.
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