Successful Outcome For Your Journey to Better Hearing

I have been fitting hearing aids since 2005. So much has changed in the realm of technology that words cannot really describe the advances in this field. But today, I would like to go back to some basics required on that journey. We want the hearing aids to perform now as well as they did when they were purchased. For this to happen, there needs to be some maintenance on the hearing aids on somewhat of a regular basis.

The basics of the hearing aid is comprised of sound coming into the device through a microphone. The processor inside the device does its prescribed amplification of that same sound, and the new, improved sound comes out of the device through what is called the receiver – it receives the new, amplified sound. The receiver in most of the newer hearing aids is the tiny, metal object that is placed inside the ear canal with a wax filter and a tip on the outside for comfort and fit.

This is a picture of 2 wax filters, the tiny white objects, and the inside of 2 tips that was on someone’s hearing aids. As you can see, the filters have a honey-colored substance in the middle, and the tip on the right side also has a coating of this wax blocking the holes that should be open to allow the sound to come through. When these tiny little holes are blocked, sound is reduced. It acts as a wall, and it requires more sound to overcome this blockage.

This is what the wax filter should look like. There is a floor in the wax filter that has several holes. These holes should be visible. This is such a small item – how can you ever get that kind of visibility? Well, I have a solution for that. There are many ‘free apps’ for smart phones that have a magnifying glass app which is how I took the above pictures. If you do not use a smart phone, you can still buy a magnifying glass to accomplish the same thing. Filters and tips need changed if ear wax is an issue.

My goal is that my customers are satisfied and getting the benefits they need from their hearing devices for the long run. This is one step that is often overlooked that can be a game changer. I would also like to STRONGLY recommend daily cleaning of the tips with a dry toothbrush dedicated for this use. The tips are more durable than you might think, and a brisk brushing of the tip in the morning, before you put the hearing aids in your ears, can make a big difference. Ear wax hardens during the night when it is not inside your ear at body temperature. This is the ideal time to clean the hearing aids before you put them in. Also, I would encourage periodically taking a damp cloth to wipe off the tips.

I hope this helps. If you need more wax filters or tips, call the person you bought the hearing aids from and I am sure they will help you with this.