Hearing Aid Care

Hearing aid care

1. Hearing Aid Care: Do’s and Don’ts Cleaning and taking good care of your hearing aid every day is very important. The better you care for your hearing aid, the less often it will break down and need to be sent in for repair. Below is a list of things you can do every day to help keep your hearing aid working properly. If you ever have questions about your hearing aid, call your Audiologist.

2. Carry extra batteries with you or keep them at school because you never know when your hearing aid battery will stop working.

3. Check the battery with a battery tester. If the battery is low or not working at all, replace the old battery with a new one right away. Leaving old batteries in the hearing aid will cause corrosion, which can cause your hearing aid to stop working. If the light is bright red, the battery is good! If the light does not light up or dim, the battery needs changed!

4. Wax Loop & Brush Tool Check the earmold and tubing for clogging or cracks. If the earmold has earwax or debris in it, use your wax loop tool that came with the hearing aid to gently remove the blockage. If the earmold or tubing is cracked, please tell your audiologist.

5. Check the hearing aid case for damage such as cracks, broken battery door, or exposed wires. Check buttons, dials and switches for ease of movement or breakage. If you notice any damage to the hearing aid case, please tell your audiologist.

6. Check for feedback (whistling). Feedback is usually caused by one of these problems: T he connection between the hearing aid, tubing, and/or earmold may not be tight, T he tubing or earmold may be cracked, E arwax is blocking the ear or hearing aid, or T he hearing aid may not be fitting properly. Make sure the hearing aid is in the ear correctly and it is in all the way. If feedback occurs even after all of these things have been checked, talk to your audiologist.

7. Keep your hearing aid away from heat. Exposure to high temperatures (such as in the car on a sunny day) can damage the hearing aid circuit.

8. Do not get the electronic parts wet! Exposure to moisture is the number one reason for hearing aids to need repairs. Moisture problems in your hearing aid can be caused by direct contact with water, excessive sweating, steam from a shower, high humidity, and bad weather such as rain, sleet, snow, and fog. *Clean your hearing aids as instructed. Wipe the hearing aid case with a dry, soft cloth. When at home , detach the earmold and tubing from the earhook (the half-moon shaped plastic connected to the hearing aid) and clean in warm, soapy water. Make sure earmolds are completely dry before re-attaching them

9. Turn off your hearing aid, open the battery door when not in use. The batteries will last longer. If you received a drying kit when you were first given your hearing aid, place the hearing aids in the dry kit container with the battery door open, nightly. This allows air to circulate through the hearing aid. The drying kit draws moisture out of the hearing aid. Nightly drying keeps the hearing aid in good condition, and it will be less likely to need repair.

10. Protect your hearing aid from shock by changing the battery over a towel, on a table, or over a bed. This will cushion the fall if you drop the hearing aid. It will also help keep your battery from flying across the room.

11. Keep hearing aid batteries away from children. The batteries can look like candy to children, but batteries are poisonous and can be fatal if swallowed. If you think a child has swallowed a battery, call your local poison control center right away.

12. Keep hearing aids away from pets. Dogs and cats love hearing aids and will eat them quickly if they get a chance! If your hearing aid becomes damaged, it is important to collect as much of the hearing aid as possible and call your audiologist.

13. Carry a hearing aid case with you. Do not put your hearing aid in a purse or backpack unprotected because it may become damaged. Forgotten hearing aids placed in pockets often get washed.

14. Eastern Illinois Area of Special Education Audiology and Hearing Impaired Program E I A S E …. serving exceptional children in eight counties 5837 Park Drive, Suite 1 Charleston, IL 61920 Phone: [phone], Ext. 239 FAX: [phone]