Hearing Aid Maintenance

To minimise the need for repairs and to preserve the life of your hearing aids, regular and thorough maintenance is essential. Your hearing aids are sensitive devices, often with circuitry worn in the ear canal, and are highly vulnerable to damage from moisture and wax.

Signs a Hearing Aid Requires Cleaning or Repair

If a hearing aid is not maintained properly, wax and moisture damage can lead to:

a gradual or sudden loss of volume
a reduction in the clarity of high frequency sounds so that they appear muffled or distorted
whistle or feedback
cutting out altogether

To avoid any of these changes in the performance of your hearing aids, ensure you clean your devices regularly.

At DWM Audiology, we have a vacuum suction cleaning device, which draws moisture and debris from a hearing aid for a thorough clean. This can restore a malfunctioning hearing aid, so we recommend that our clients come in straight away if their hearing aid is not performing well. For optimal performance, our clients are encouraged to bring their hearing aids in every 3 months or so for this specialised service. No appointment is needed to do this, and we provide this service to our clients free of charge.

Wax guards, wax filters, tubing and ear moulds for behind-the-ear hearing aids need to be replaced regularly. This can be checked while your hearing aids are being cleaned. There are minor charges for these parts after the warranty period has expired.

We will arrange repairs as needed.

Maintaining Your Hearing Aids

Ideally, handle your hearing aids while seated at a table with good lighting. Alternatively, with a towel or pillow on your lap.
Wipe your hearing aids and ear moulds/domes with a disposable tissue to remove wax and skin whenever you remove them from your ears.
If you have circuitry fitted in your ear canal, examine your wax filter closely. If it is blocked, it needs to be replaced.
Remove wax or debris from the air vent (if present) in your mould/hearing aid using the tool provided.
If you are wearing a fully behind-the-ear hearing aid: clean slim tubing as needed with your whisker; and examine your ear mould/dome closely, using your cleaning tool to remove any wax from the hole where the amplified sound is fed into your ear.
Use your cleaning tools carefully – do not damage your hearing aids by cleaning too vigorously.
Do not get your hearing aids wet. They need to be removed before having a shower, a bath, or a swim. They should also be removed at the hairdressers and before using hair products.
Use your dehumidifier every night to absorb any accumulated moisture.
Don’t drop your hearing aids onto a hard surface.
Keep your hearing aids in a cool, dry place away from children and dogs! The small batteries are dangerous if swallowed. Hearing aids seem to be attractive to dogs, and it is not uncommon for a hearing aid to be brought in for repair or replacement as a result of being chewed by a dog. This is not considered normal wear and tear, and repairs/replacement may not be covered by the warranty.

Hearing Aid Batteries

Unless you have purchased rechargeable hearing aids, you will be provided with batteries when you are fitted with hearing aids. When they run out, you will need to purchase your own batteries. Make sure you buy fresh batteries of the correct size for your hearing aids. Different sized batteries are colour coded: yellow, brown, orange and blue.

When you remove the batteries, clean the battery contacts in your hearing aids. You can do this with a cotton bud or a clean, dry cloth.
Stale or poor quality batteries will have a reduced life and may result in poor performance from your hearing aids. We stock high quality batteries and with our high turnover, they are always fresh.

Batteries can cause damage to your devices if left in for a long time. If you plan on not using your hearing aids for consecutive days, it is recommended that you leave the batteries out temporarily

Care and Maintenance of Hearing Aids: Our In-House Services

We provide guidance to help you care for your hearing aids. Maintenance tools, including a moisture absorbent kit, are provided as part of your hearing aid fitting package.

We provide all our hearing aid patients with:

free in-house hearing aid checking and cleaning, using pressurised drying and vacuum suction equipment.
minor in-house repairs
hearing aid maintenance accessories at cost price
bulk discount battery purchase
These services are available without an appointment between 9.00 am and 5.00 pm.

Hearing Aid Checklist

Most common hearing aid problems:

Aid dead
Aid working but weak
Hearing aid fading over the day
Can hear static but no amplification
Feedback/whistling from the hearing aid

If you are not able to rectify the above problems yourself, please call us or drop in to our counter to have our reception staff check your hearing aid for you.

Troubleshooting Checklist

Aid dead

Is there a battery in the hearing aid?
Is the battery fresh?
Is the battery inserted correctly?
Is the tubing blocked (for fully behind-the-ear hearing aids)?
Is there wax blocking the filter or the output hole in the mould/dome?
Is the microphone blocked with wax/dirt?

Aid working, but weak

Is there any wax blocking the filter or output hole in the mould/dome?
Is the microphone blocked?
Is there any moisture or dirt in the tubing (for fully behind-the-ear hearing aids)?

Hearing aid fading over the day

The most common cause is a build-up of moisture in the hearing aid. Bring the hearing aid in to our clinic. The vacuum suction cleaning device at our counter, which will draw moisture and debris from your hearing aid for a thorough clean, can often restore a malfunctioning hearing aid.

If this is a recurrent problem, you may need to use your dehumidifier more often

Can hear static, but no amplification

Probable receiver/microphone damage – needs repair by the manufacturer.

Getting feedback (whistling)

Is the hearing aid/mould/dome correctly inserted or too loose?
Is there any wax blocking the filter or the output hole in the mould/dome?
Do you have a wax build-up in your ears?
Is the ear mould/hearing aid shell old or cracked or split?

Hearing Aid Repairs

Hearing aid repairs are arranged through the manufacturer. Loan BTE/RIC hearing aids can be provided while your hearing aid is being repaired.

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Hearing Tests for Adults

A reduced capacity to communicate has a significant impact on relationships, career opportunities, social connection, independent living and quality of life.