The Importance of Seasonal Hearing Aid Check-ups

Maintaining Their Excellent Condition Throughout the Year

Hearing aids are incredible gadgets. These small-scale supercomputers have enhanced the lives of countless individuals.

Just like any piece of technology, they need consistent upkeep to remain in excellent condition. However, even if you’re careful with self-maintenance, the shift in seasons can negatively affect your devices.

Let’s explore the significance of taking care of your hearing aids and the reasons we suggest annual inspections.

Why Hearing Aid Maintenance Matters

Hearing aids are intricate and advanced yet surprisingly durable. However, it’s important to maintain them properly to ensure optimal performance.

Think about a car: A lot of folks are at ease with making minor adjustments to a car, like swapping out tires, headlights, and windshield wipers. Yet, they bring their car in for routine oil changes and thorough checks.

Hearing aids are comparable. Many individuals feel at ease with making minor adjustments, like replacing tubing, domes, and wax guards. However, it’s advisable to bring in your hearing aids for regular check-ups so your audiologist can examine them closely, similar to checking under the car’s hood, to verify that the processor and other parts are clean and functioning as they should.

Proper maintenance and regular clean and checks:

• Prevent premature wear and tear, extending your hearing aids’ lifespans, which saves you money in the long run.
• Ensure your hearing aids dependably provide clear, natural sounds for optimal speech comprehension.
• Make it much easier to find problems when they’re small, not when they’ve become major — and costly — problems.
• Reduce the chance for discomfort or irritation in your ears.

Why Should You Get a Seasonal Check-up?

You might not see the immediate reason for arranging a yearly inspection for your hearing aids. However, linking your hearing aid maintenance and evaluations to the seasons can help you remember.

Additionally, the efficiency and durability of your devices are also at risk. Let’s explore this further.

The Effects of Weather

Different weather conditions impact your hearing aids in different ways:

Autumn

In the fall, the breeze frequently intensifies, leading to a lot of trash. The type of debris varies based on your location, ranging from soil, fragments of fallen leaves and pinecones, to sand. Additionally, you’re not free from concerns about water — transitioning from the chilly outdoors to the significantly warmer indoors exposes you to the risk of condensation. Performing a maintenance review before the festive season is an excellent strategy to confirm their readiness for the numerous gatherings!

Winter

The chilly weather of winter frequently causes moisture to form within your hearing aids. Additionally, increased rainfall can cause damage. Despite your efforts to keep your devices in a dry environment, a thorough examination and cleaning towards the season’s conclusion enables your service provider to look for any build-up of moisture.

Spring

Combine dust and pollen with a bit of wind and a hot, dry day, and you’re creating the perfect conditions for debris to accumulate in your hearing aids. Over time, this build-up can begin to harm the components inside. Scheduling a thorough cleaning and inspection at the start of spring can help reverse the damage.

Summer

The higher humidity of summer leads to more perspiration, which may seep into your hearing aids and impact the electronic parts. This applies to the common products like sunscreen, tanning lotion, and insect repellent. Therefore, it’s important to clean your gadgets more frequently during the summer. However, a thorough cleaning before Holidays ensures your devices receive a more extensive cleaning than you can achieve on your own.

Hearing Lifestyle Changes

Seasonal transitions frequently require modifications in daily routines. Should you move from activities like swimming and softball during the warmer months to cosy bonfires and indoor events in the autumn, your hearing aids might require some adjustments to accommodate these changes.

What to Expect During a Seasonal Hearing Aid Check-up

A hearing aid inspection guarantees that your equipment is functioning at its best and involves various procedures:

Clean

We’ll meticulously clean your hearing aids from the inside out to eliminate any earwax, dirt, or debris accumulation. Clean hearing aids not only work more efficiently but are also more comfortable to wear.

Parts Check

We’ll carefully examine your hearing aids for signs of wear, corrosion, and damage. Should any problems be discovered, we’ll tackle them to avoid more significant problems.

Sound Check

We’ll check to ensure your hearing aids are correctly increasing the volume of sound and continue to fulfil your requirements. Additionally, we’ll adjust any necessary programming and settings.

Battery Check

Should your gadgets rely on replaceable batteries, we’ll examine their energy capacities. For those with rechargeable hearing aids, we’ll verify that their ability to recharge remains effective.

Fit and Comfort

We’ll evaluate how well your hearing aids fit and feel, and solve any problems to make sure your devices offer a comfortable way to listen.

Lifestyle Assessment

We’ll inquire about how your way of living is anticipated to evolve in the upcoming season, so we can customise your hearing aids to suit your requirements.

In Between Clean and Checks

Cleaning your hearing aids daily is the best practice. However, this doesn’t have to be an elaborate task. By following the guidelines and using the provided tools when you got your hearing aids:

Remove Any Earwax

Check the ear tip that enters your ear and clean or remove any noticeable wax. For those with a hard shell, use a dry cloth to clean the hearing aid. For those with a soft, rubber tip, gently brush the wax off. Avoid using water or chemicals!

Inspect the Microphone

If you’re uncertain about the location of the microphone, refer to the accompanying literature. Gently sweep your brush over the microphones to clear away any dirt or particles.

Inspect the Wax Guard

If your hearing aids feature a tiny wax guard, check and replace it if needed. Certain devices use tubing instead — employ your cleaning instruments to remove any wax.

Use Your Vent-Cleaning Tool

A lot of personalised hearing aids or earpieces come with a vent or airway, along with a cleaning device. By threading this delicate wire through the vent area, it can dislodge any wax.

Keep Them Dry and Stored Away

It’s no surprise that the recurring issue with seasonal problems is moisture. It’s like a weakness for hearing aids! You need to store your hearing aids every night while you sleep, ensuring they’re placed in a dehumidifier that also serves as a storage option.

Performing regular upkeep is essential to ensure your hearing aids keep delivering sound that’s clear and comfortable. Routine inspections tackle the challenges each season brings and prolong their lifespan, so avoid waiting for issues to arise — incorporate maintenance and cleaning into your daily routine!

Reach out to us if you have any questions regarding the maintenance requirements of your particular hearing aid model!