Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Saturday, December 13, 2008
What should you do with a hearing aid brush?
So, you have a hearing aid brush sitting in your kit that came with your hearing aid.
Do you know what to do with it?
Many people are not sure and just ignore that little brush. But that brush might be just the thing to keep a hearing aid working well and keep it from going back to the manufacturer.
Follow these simple steps to keep your hearing aid clean and working in top condition.
For In-the-ear styles
1. Hold your hearing aid so that the surface you are cleaning faces down.
2. Brush firmly but gently over all the switches and holes moving debris out and away from the hearing aid.
3. All the holes on the hearing aid need to be brushed. This includes the microphone holes (which are usually very small and close to the battery door) and the canal opening (which is where the speaker is housed) and the vent holes.
For Behind-the-ear styles
1. Hold your hearing aid so that the surface you are cleaning faces down.
2. Brush firmly but gently over all the switches and holes moving debris out and away from the hearing aid.
3. All the holes on the hearing aid need to be brushed. The microphones are sometimes covered by hoods, screens or under the earhook. When brushing the microphones be careful not to remove the hoods or screens. If your hood or screen comes off take it to the audiologist to have it replaced.
4. Remember to clean your earmold too. the openings at the end of the earmold allow the sound to come out. Keep these clear by brushing them out as well.
In some situations you'll need to use a pick to remove wax from the opening of a hearing aid or earmold. Picks are specially made for hearing aids and you should never use a needle or bobby pin to do this job.
If you do not have a brush or a pic ask your audiologist for one. Always keep this brush separate from other brushes. Use the brush only on your hearing aids and earmolds and never for cleaning other things.
Remember to work with clean hands. Dirty hands lead to dirty hearing aids which can lead to ear infections!
This is my favorite type of hearing aid brush. At one end is a brush and magnet and at the other end is a wax pick.
How to hold the hearing aid when cleaning.
That small black hole on the left is the microphone; beside it is the battery door and to the far right is the volume control. Brush over all of these components but focus on the microphone. Your hearing aid might have two or more microphones so make sure you brush all of them.
This blog posted by Suzanne Yoder, Au.D. Doctor of Audiology and owner of HearWell Center. Please visit our website for more information http://www.hearwellcenter.com/
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