5 tips for looking after your hearing

Hearing is delicate and susceptible to irreparable damage, even from everyday activities and environments that you might not consider to be a threat.

The theme of Deaf Awareness Week 2020 is ‘acquired hearing loss’, so we are sharing some simple things you can do to protect your hearing from environmental factors.

1. Avoid loud noises

Most people are aware that places like nightclubs and rock concerts can do damage to your hearing, but there are many loud noises in everyday life that can also cause problems. Things like lawnmowers, hedge trimmers, drills, hairdryers, or lots of traffic can all create a very loud environment.

It’s sensible to become familiar with the decibel levels of everyday activities and sounds and use the chart below to check what kind of risk they might pose.

2. Use soundproof ear protection

If you are ever exposed to loud environments - at work, at home, or during leisure activities - consider wearing soundproof ear defenders or earplugs for the duration of your exposure to the loud sounds.

3. Limit how often you listen to loud music

Listening to loud music through headphones and earphones can do damage to your hearing. Only listen to music at a volume that feels totally comfortable and try to avoid turning the volume up any higher than 60 per cent. Take regular breaks and try not to listen to music through headphones for any longer than an hour at a time.

4. Know the warning signs

It can be helpful to identify some of the warning signs that you’ve been exposed to unhealthy noise levels.

If, for example, you notice you aren’t able to hear as well as you could before, or if there is a ringing or buzzing in your ears, you might need to take a break from any loud noises and consider getting your hearing checked.

5. Ear care

Like any other part of your body, it is important to take good care of your ears and hearing. By getting an annual hearing check-up with an audiologist, you can keep on top of how your hearing is doing and catch any potential issues early.

Never stick anything into your ear canals – including cottons buds or a finger.

Be vigilant and if you ever notice a change in your hearing, seek advice from an audiologist as soon as possible. Like most health issues, the quicker you act the quicker you can avoid things getting worse.

Give your ears a rest. By staying away from any loud noises as much as you can, your ears can rest and recover, which is important in maintaining good hearing health.

Article source: hearingdogs.org.uk

Clean Your Oticon Hearing Aid

• Wear gloves when cleaning hearing aids
• If you have behind-the-ear hearing aids, clean the hearing aid surface with wet wipes that don’t contain alcohol. This is because they are coated with a hydrophobic coating that is sensitive to alcohol
• For in-the-ear hearing aids, all kinds of wet wipes can be used for cleaning the hearing aids’ surface. The cleaning guidelines are also applicable for EduMic and ConnectClip
• An alternative to wet wipes is cleaning with a mild soap solution on a hard-twisted cotton cloth. Avoid using excess water that can enter the hearing aids
• After cleaning, discard the gloves and wash your hands carefully with soap and water or disinfect with a suitable alcohol disinfectant
• Leave your cleaned hearing aids to dry for one hour

Taking temperature in your ear
If you or someone else need to take the temperature in your ear, we recommend that you remove your hearing aid first. Having the hearing aid in the ear while taking the temperature in the ear may result in not showing the correct temperature.

Keeping your hearing aids clean

A hearing aid consists of several parts, most of which should be cleaned and maintained regularly.

How to Clean behind-the-ear hearing aids

Your ear canal produces earwax, which serves the important purpose of protecting and lubricating your ear. But wax buildup is one of the main causes for hearing aid repair, because wax clogs up the sound outlet and/or the ventilation opening, resulting in weak, distorted sound or absence of sound.

Your hearing aids are an important investment and have been designed to be both reliable and durable. Use a few minutes each day to clean them. Most hearing aids come with a filter or other device to stop wax getting into the hearing aid. 

Cleaning the speaker unit and shell

As a general rule, clean your hearing aids each day with a soft, dry cloth. Make sure your hands are clean and dry before handling your aids.

The speaker unit in receiver-in-the ear hearing aids (RITE models) should be cleaned on a regular basis using a cloth to rub off any earwax. The domes (silicone tips) that cover the speaker units should not be cleaned, but instead replaced at least once a month.

Watch this video on how to clean the shell:

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How to clean in-the-ear hearing aids

Wax build-up is one of the main reasons why hearing aids need repairing. Clean your hearing aids to ensure that they keep doing their job.

Your ear canal produces earwax, which serves the great purpose of protecting and lubricating your ear. But wax build-up is one of the main reasons why hearing aids need repairing, because wax clogs up the sound outlet and/or the ventilation opening, resulting in weak, distorted sound or absence of sound.

Your hearing aids are an important investment, and they have been designed to be both reliable and durable. Take a few minutes each day to clean them. Most hearing aids come with a filter or other device to stop wax getting into the hearing aid. Check the wax filter and replace it if necessary.

Cleaning the in-the-ear hearing aid

Use the cloth to wipe the surface of the instrument clean. Watch the instruction video on how to clean the shell.

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Advice before cleaning

As a general rule, clean your hearing aids and earpieces each day with a soft, dry cloth. Make sure your hands are clean and dry before handling your aids.

The microphone inlets can easily get blocked. If you are having problems with your hearing aids, check that the microphone inlets are not blocked.

Before handling a hearing aid, make sure you hold it over a soft surface to avoid damage if you drop it

Using the MultiTool for cleaning

The MultiTool is a versatile tool that should be used to ensure the best care, cleaning and performance of your hearing aids:

Replace the brush when necessary. Simply pull it out of the tool and insert a new fresh brush. Press the new one firmly into the handle.

Article source: oticon.co.uk

Phonak Hearing Aid Checks

Here are a few checks you can do yourself to keep your hearing aid working optimally:

1. First, try changing your battery for a new one or charging your hearing aids if they are rechargeable.
2. Next, check that there are no blockages to the sound outlet:
   
   
   • If you wear a RIC (receiver in the canal) hearing aid, check the dome is clean and free of wax. If it requires a change, remove and discard it and replace with a new dome from your pack. See this instruction video for guidance 
   • With the dome removed, check that the wax filter in the speaker port is also clear of wax and debris. Follow the instructions in this short video to change the filter if required
   • If you wear a hearing aid with an earmold, check that your earmold tubing is clear. Follow these instructions to clean your mold 
   • If you wear a custom in the ear hearing aid, follow these instructions to change your wax filter 
   • Contact your provider to send you filters, domes, batteries or cleaning kits in the post should run out.

3. If after all of those maintenance check are completed and your device is still not working, contact your provider by phone or email. They may need to send your aid in for repair and will be able to guide you on the best and safest way to get your device to them during these times of social distancing.

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 Article reproduced courtesy of phonak.com