- Not staying up to date with your hearing test.
Hearing aid wearers should have an annual hearing test to check for changes in hearing sensitivity. Based on these documented changes, the hearing aids are reprogrammed to better fit your changing hearing loss. By not staying up to date with hearing testing, the hearing aids are at risk for not properly amplifying at the specific level you require for your hearing loss, resulting in a decrease in speech understanding.
- Not keeping your hearing aids in a dehumidifier.
A dehumidifier pulls moisture out of the hearing aid and is used as the storage container when the hearing aids are turned off at night. Hearing aids notoriously do not like moisture, so keeping them in the container is an easy way to extend the lifespan of the hearing aids. Newer hearing aids are more moisture resistant but can still benefit from using the dehumidifier on a regular basis. These small containers can be purchased for under $10.00 in our office or you can find them online. This is a relatively inexpensive cost for the potential benefits!
- Not taking advantage of your manufacturer warranty.
Find out when your warranty through the hearing aid manufacturer is due to expire. Schedule an appointment with your audiologist to have them send in your hearing aids to the company for a final clean and check before they go out of warranty. An audiologist should be cleaning and checking your hearing aid on a regular basis but they do not open the internal components of the hearing aid. Sending the hearing aids in to the company allows them to do a more thorough check compared to what is done in the office.
- Not using your home telephone or cell phone correctly while wearing your hearing aids.
Make sure you are holding the portion of the phone where the sound comes out close to the microphones of the hearing aid. A common mistake is to hold the phone up to the opening of the ear but a majority of hearing aids fit nowadays feature microphones that are located behind the ear. By not holding the phone up to the microphones of the hearing aid, you are not receiving the additional amplification your hearing aid has to offer.
Have a question about anything discussed in this blog entry? Email our audiologist directly at tlc@taylorlisteningcenter.com or call the office during normal business hours 443-544-7555.