Nearly 20% of the global population has hearing loss. If you’re among the many people adjusting to hearing aids, the idea of regular maintenance might seem overwhelming. But with a few easy habits, you can incorporate care into your routine without skipping a beat. Let’s explore how to maintain your hearing aids during three common daily activities: sleeping, exercising and showering.
Caring for You Hearing Aids Before Bedtime
Your hearing aids need rest, just like you do. Wearing them overnight can cause moisture and earwax buildup, leading to discomfort, potential skin irritation or even damage to the devices. A few maintenance necessities to add to your bedtime routine include:
- Clean your devices. Throughout the day, your hearing aids will likely acquire dust and wax, potentially clogging the important components and preventing clear sound from coming through. Before you go to bed, wipe down your devices with a dry cloth and clear wax or debris with a special wax pick.
- Store your devices. Store your hearing aids in a secure, dry case when you sleep.
- Charge your devices. If your hearing aids use rechargeable batteries, charge them nightly.
- Keep away from children or pets. While your devices are an essential communication tool for you, they may look like toys to your children and pets. To keep them safe, store them out of reach.
Caring for Your Hearing Aids While Exercising
If you like to hit Iron House Gym after work, there are a few things to keep in mind to safeguard your devices:
- Wear clips. Hearing aid clips attach your devices to your shirt to prevent loss or damage.If you do a lot of high-intensity workouts, try using clips to secure your devices.
- Remove devices before swimming. Chlorinated water can cause permanent damage to your hearing aids. To help keep them safe, remove and store your devices before diving into the pool.
- Clean them after exercising. After your workout, clean your hearing aids just like you do at the end of the day.
Caring for Your Hearing Aids While Showering
The rules for caring for your hearing aids while showering are the same as caring for them while swimming. Simply remove your devices before hopping in the shower. Once your ears and hair are dry, go ahead and put your hearing aids back in.
For more information on caring for your devices or to schedule a repair, contact Spartanburg | Greer ENT & Allergy today.