Curtis Dickinson
Copyright 2002
Hearing aids cost thousands of dollars. Your hearing is worth
every penny.
The miniaturized technology of your hearing aids is simply amazing
for what they do. Just as your hearing loss slowly can degrade
so too can the performance of your hearing aids.
Being stuck in your ear all day requires your hearing aids to
receive a lot of love and compassion. The ear temperature and
a fluctuating pressure zone draws wax into the opening. From the
environment they get humidity, temperature changes, hair spray,
smoke, etc. Invisible organisms in the air clog the microphone.
If you have fluctuating hearing, a degraded performance of your
hearing aid will compound the frustration.
Frustration with hearing loss is the most important reason to
daily care for your hearing aids. It also saves you money. Daily
care of the aids eliminates one step in problem solving. Wouldn't
it be nice to know the hearing aids are up to par? Here is how
to do that:
NOTE: Wax build-up in your ears could be a medical
concern. After receiving permission from a doctor you can use
an ear wash such as Murine to soften and remove wax. Follow the
instructions included with the ear wash.
The following general maintenance tips include all size hearing
aids. BTE (Behind the-ear) hearing aids have a separate ear
mold and tubing, which require slightly additional maintenance.)
The best way to clean the aids is after they have spent the night
drying out in a Drying Box or dehumidifier. This makes the aids
easier to clean because the moisture will be gone, oily body fluids
will be dry and wax (cerumen) will cake off.
Lets start with tubing and earmolds on BTE aids first:
Keep your tubing flexible and clear. When it begins to
discolor it's time to change it. Brittle tubing distorts sound.
It also cracks. Cracked tubing can be invisible to the eye but
cause whistling and decreased clarity. Stiff tubing prevents the
aid from sitting comfortably on your ears, which can promote pressure-spot
soreness. If you're an active person stiff tubing is less effective
for absorbing shock. Keep it new, clear and flexible. Tubing is
cheap and cost effective.
Earmolds: Keep these clean using a miniature wire brush
to brush off wax. Wipe down with earmold cleansing spray or liquid.
A germicidal is nice too. Earmolds are made of acrylic (hard),
vinyl (soft) and silicone (soft and most popular). Ask your dispenser
for the best formula to clean the type of mold you have. For tight
earmolds or when ears are sore use lubricating oils and cremes.
These are super slippery to ease the insertion of the aid. Lubricants
can provide a tighter seal for prevention of feedback (whistling.).
For cleaning wax from the inside of the earmold (In one-piece
hearing aids, this is called the bore), use a wax pick. Several
types are available. One is like a toothpick; another is a small
plastic handle with a thin wire loop on one end (curette). Even
a pipe cleaner will work. Also, there are wax guards which can
be placed over the bore for the one-piece aids. Supposedly this
does not affect the transmission of sound. They are disposable.
Just stick on. They collect/absorb wax. Then replace as needed.
Keep the battery housing clean. Keep this wide open, with
battery removed, when placed in the drying box. If you perspire,
this is important because perspiration has a unique way of settling
in the battery compartment; at least it does for my BTE. You don't
need to keep the battery from the drying box. Leave it conveniently
in the container.
Traveling: Bring a brush, lubricant, wax guard, batteries. A small
pouch can keep these together for you.
KITS: I looked for a commercially-available "kit" for
hearing aid maintenance. To my dismay, a search of resources for
kits that might include lubricant, wax picks, wax guards, humidifier
box, spare tubing, tools for replacing plain spare tubing, tubing
with locks to keep them in place, tools for removing and inserting
tubing, polishing cloth, etc was near impossible to find. I did
find one kit that was available only through dispensers (listed
below). However, it does not include tubing replacements. If you
do find a decent kit please let me know. I'll be sure to list
it for future reference.
PURCHASING SOURCES: Below I've listed the individual products,
if you want to make your own hearing aid maintenance kit. Any
hearing aid seller can get these products for you. They will also
perform these maintenance services for a fee.
(If you buy new hearing aids most manufacturers include a compact
pouch with a brush, wax pick, and soft polishing cloth. Make this
part of the purchase deal with your dispenser.)
LIST OF MATERIALS:
When possible I've included trade names.
Kits:
Oto-Care Kit: (Includes: Hearing Aid Saver, Oto-ease, Air blower,
Audiologists Choice disinfectant. Cleaner, battery tester, telephone
pad, wax removal tool, vinyl organizer pad.)
INTERNET SOURCES:
http://www.HITEC.com
http://www.Harriscomm.com
http://www.Hearing-Loss-Help-Co.com
Curtis Dickinson has made up a kit for sale.
Contact him at hearmeco@infi.net
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