Tips for Increasing the Lifespan of Your Hearing Aids

I would like to share with you a few of the tips I have learned from having hearing aids for over 3 years. This will be for all the people that wear them and have the RIC (Receiver in the Canal) type which is worn over the ear and has a little wire going to the reciever inside.

1. Clean or replace the domes frequently. If you see them build up with wax, either replace them or soak them in hydrogen peroxide (the 3% bottle - the kind you get at a drug store, not the very potent kind for chemists). Once they are finished soaking in a cup of hydrogen peroxide, fill the cup with water and drain it and then rinse the domes with water. If you don't do this step, your fingers could get some kind of white residue on them as you take them out. After rinsing, dry them out as much as possible with a hand towel.

2. Always try to place your hearing aids in an area that has very low humidity and doesn't have extreme temperatures. Never bring them into a bathroom while taking a shower as the moisture from the shower could affect the aids over time.

3. After taking a shower, always make sure the inside of your ear canal is mostly dry as water from the shower could seep into the hearing aid or mix with earwax and clog up the dome. You'll need to research for the safest way to dry your ears.

4. Replace the wax guards on a frequent basis. These are located between the dome and the receiver. You may have to get these from a hearing aid dispenser or audiologist. I believe they are specific to each brand.

5. Call around to several different places and ask what a good reliable aid is. You can also call up a hearing aid repair shop or research on the internet. Keep in mind that certain hearing aid places might promote one brand over the other and be biased. This is why it is important to call different places.

6. Take your hearing aids to the place you bought them for professional cleaning. Mine were covered for 3 years so during that time I could bring them in once a month or so. In a professional cleaning, they can take apart the aids and clean them internally.

7. If you have to take them out temporarily, its best to take the batteries out and put them in the case.

This is all I can think of at the moment. If any of you have any more tips, please post! The better your hearing aids work, hopefully the lower the tinnitus noticability will be. In addition, you can hopefully keep away from having to pay additional repair bills.