How to Keep Your Hearing Aids Repair-Free

The way to avoid the need for hearing aid repairs is to protect your hearing aid from potential damage. The main sources of damage to hearing aids are extreme temperatures, moisture and rough treatment. Here are some tips on what that means in practice.

Avoiding Heat and Cold

Be careful where you store both your hearing aid itself and any batteries including spare ones. When you’re wearing your hearing aid, take precautions to keep it at a reasonable temperature. For example, if you’re going out in the sunshine, wear a hat with a brim rather than just a peaked cap. Similarly, if you’re going out in the cold, wear something which covers your ears.

Avoiding Moisture

This is probably the biggest challenge in hearing-aid care. It can, however, be overcome with a bit of forethought. If you go out in the rain, use a waterproof cap or hood. If you live in a humid climate or visit one frequently, then look for hearing aids that offer some level of waterproofing. Even then, try to minimize their exposure to moisture. 

If you live in a humid climate, it might be worth investing in a proper dehumidifier for your hearing aid. If you’re just visiting one, a good option is to wrap your hearing aid in a microfiber cloth and then put this in a protective container. Microfiber cloths can absorb a lot of moisture, and this will protect your hearing aid.

If you like to keep fit, then either take out your hearing aid or use sweatbands to protect it. Never use a hearing aid when performing watersports, not even if it’s advertised as waterproof. Likewise, be sure to take out your hearing aid before you have a shower or bath.

In fact, it’s best to wait until you’re completely ready before putting in your hearing aid. Most personal grooming products can potentially be very damaging to hearing aids. Firstly, there’s the fact that many of them are liquid. Secondly, there’s the fact that a lot of them contain chemicals that are harmless to humans but very bad for hearing aids.

Avoiding Rough Treatment

When it comes to handling hearing aids, for any reason, there are two golden rules to follow. Firstly, wash your hands and dry them thoroughly. Secondly, take your time. Washing your hands gets rid of any oils or chemicals on them. Drying them thoroughly, of course, is to prevent moisture from being transferred to your hearing aid.

Taking your time is the key to avoiding many of the issues which lead to hearing aid repairs. For example, when you fit or remove your hearing aid, taking your time will help to prevent you from breaking the delicate hook. It will also make you less likely to drop your hearing aid. This can cause serious damage, including damage to the mic.

In fact, if you really want to avoid hearing aid repairs, then you need to take this a step further. Make sure that you clean and maintain it according to the guidance from your hearing health professional. Also, be careful about where you store it out of use. Generally, the best place to store a hearing aid is either in its case or in a dehumidifier.