Hearing Aid Guide Category:
Now that you have the best hearing aid for you, knowing how to clean and care for them is as important as getting the right device for your own needs. It is important that you take good care of your hearing aid so that it will last longer and performs to its optimum best.
A simple cleaning kit for your hearing aid will be sufficient to keep your device clean and functioning. You will need wax pick, soft cloth, hearing aid brush and hearing aid tube blower.
How to clean the hearing aid:
1. Wipe the outer surface of the hearing aid with a soft cloth to get rid of any body oils or earwax.
2. If there is any earwax accumulated on the ear-mold, remove the wax with a wax pick.
3. Open the battery compartment and remove the battery. Using the brush, brush off any debris in the compartment. Leave the compartment open to dry it out.
4. Place the battery back inside the compartment and use it as you normally would.
Do remember to not pick on any openings in the hearing aids. The internal parts of the hearing aid is sensitive and delicate, making it easier for them to get damaged. If there are any wax build up in any openings, do let your specialist clean it for you.
Never use any chemical solutions to clean your hearing aid. It will only damage the device.
How to clean the ear-mold:
1. Twist the ear-mold tubing and gently pull it away from the ear hook. The end of the ear-mold tube is connected to the ear hook.
2. Check for any earwax build up on the ear-mold. If there are any, use a wax pick to remove it. You can use an old toothbrush for any stubborn wax.
3. Immerse the ear-mold in warm, soapy water. Rinse well.
4. If there are any trapped water, use the blower on one end of the tube. Squeeze to get rid of the water.
5. Leave it to dry overnight.
6. Connect the ear mold back on the hearing aid before using it as usual
Do remember that the only thing that can be immerse in water is only the ear-mold. Even the very best hearing aid would be damaged if immersed in water.
If you’re using two hearing aids, clean them separately to avoid mix ups. Remember to connect the right ear-mold to the right ear hook.
Other tips to be reminded of:
1. Hearing aids never fair well with heat. So do keep your hearing aids away from any direct heat. This includes when you are using a hair dryer or straightening iron.
2. Another extreme would be cold elements. If your hearing aid gets frozen during the winter, simply let it recover by returning it to room temperature. It should be functioning normally after being ‘defrosted’.
3. If you can, avoid wearing your hearing aid in places where the moisture is high. This means no wearing the device in a sauna or during exercising. If your hearing aid happens to get wet, let it dry naturally. Never use a hair dryer to dry out your hearing aid.
4. Take caution to not let your small children and pets get their hands (or paws) on your hearing aid. Also if you can, do not drop your hearing aid.
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With recent health technology developments, there are many hearing aids in different shapes, sizes and models made available to the more audible-challenged consumers. Hearing aids are personal so the best hearing aid for one person, may not be the one for the other person.
Growing up deaf in one ear, I despise the fact that I need to wear a hearing aid to hear better. They were big and uncomfortable. These days, however, there are small almost invisible hearing aids in the market but they are not as powerful, more expensive and have shorter battery life than the older, larger, more visible models.
Here’s a summary of the most common types of hearing aids out there:
Behind The Ear (BTE)
This type of hearing aid has been known to be the best hearing aid because of its versatility, durability and ability to accommodate all types of hearing loss. BTE hearing aids rest behind the ear, picking up sound, amplifies it and carries it to an ear mold that is custom fitted inside your ear canal. Although there are the most largest and visible, new versions of BTE hearing aids are smaller, streamlined and barely visible. Doctors usually recommends parents to get their child fitted for this type of hearing aid as they are the most comfortable. The only cons about this model is that it is vulnerable to sweat and wax.
In The Ear (Full-shell)
People with moderate hearing loss usually use this type of hearing aid, where the aid itself is placed inside the ear of the wearer. The battery life of a full-shell hearing aid lasts longer and are easier to handle. The hearing aid also comes with other features such as volume control, directional microphone and telecoil. You would experience some discomfort with the full-shell hearing aid but it is bearable. Although they are easier to insert into the ear in general, they may not be the best hearing aid for people with smaller ears.
Completely In The Canal (CIC)
CIC hearing aids are meant for people who wants to improve their mild to moderate hearing loss. It is fitted inside your ear canal and are extremely small, making it invisible to other people. And because it is inside the ear, it is less likely to pick up any wind sound. However, vanity has its price. CIC uses smaller batteries, which means that you need to replace them more often. It also doesn’t have any other extra features, such as volume control or directional microphones.
In The Canal (ITC)
The ITC hearing aid works just like the previously mentioned CIC hearing aid. The only difference is that it’s larger in size and only fits partly in the ear canal. It also inherits the same limitations as the CIC hearing aid but these limitations are less severe. Unlike the CIC hearing aid, the ITC hearing aids to have extra features that most best hearing aids have. The controls may be a little bit harder to adjust than a bigger model because of its size.
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A child’s speech, language, communication skills and learning development are dependent on the child’s hearing ability. So, it is important for parents to identify their child’s disability as early as they can and intervene as soon as you can. An early intervention will affect the child’s disabilities less seriously.
Children suffering from hearing loss do receive sound waves but because of the weakness and distortion of the signals transmitted by their ear drums through the auditory nerves. By getting your child to be fitted with the best hearing aids, it can help him or her improve their hearing. The device will enhance the sound waves to be louder and stronger, making them easier to understand by the auditory nerves.
It is extremely important to get your child to be fitted at the youngest age possible. Researchers found that children fitted with hearing aids before 6 months old develop language, verbal or signed, as they would if they do not have any hearing problems.
So, here are some things for you to consider if your child needs help with their hearing:
* The type and severity of your child’s hearing loss.
* Find a hearing aid that can withstand your child’s level of activities. Also find one that are more resistant to the elements.
* Find hearing aids that have audio ports so that it can be hooked up to radio transmission in classrooms or anywhere else.
* Most hearing aids for children come in a variety of color, so let your kids have fun with them.
Best type of hearing aids for children
Depending on your child’s needs, there are many types of hearing aids that can be appropriate for your child. You should read more on the best hearing aid reviews available before you get one for your child. However, it is common for children to use the behind the ear (BTE) type of hearing aid.
Here are some reasons why that BTE are commonly used:
* It is flexible and can accommodate various ear-mold types.
* As your child grows, you can remake the ear-mold as it can be easily detached from the hearing aid.
* It is easier to cleaned.
* It is easy to use.
* You can easily checked and adjust the controls as they are visible.
* It is easy for you and your child’s caregivers to do listening checks.
* BTE hearing aids have a wide variety of volume and frequency responses.
* It works well for any type and severity of hearing losses.
* Your child will have the privilege to connect their hearing aids to a direct audio input in classrooms.
* Telecoil is an option to be considered with the hearing aid.
* It is sturdy.
Do remember that hearing aids do need time to be gotten use to. So always try to be understanding and loving to your children as they adapt to their new sense of hearing. It is important for parents to motivate, support and participate in your child’s adjustment to the situation. Even if you get the best hearing aid money can buy, it is no use if your child refuses to wear it.
Children may resists the hearing aid they are fitted to because they may feel uncomfortable or embarrassed. If your child have hearing aid problems, do get to know them and be involved in solving the problems. This is a good exercise to make your child understand the importance of using the hearing aid in their life.
Now that you know what type of hearing aid is the best for your child, do take time to care and maintain them. This is to ensure that it will work well for your child for a long time. To read more on how to care for hearing aids, click here.
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Hi, welcome to my Best Hearing Aid blog. I’m Clark Lane, a normal guy in every aspect except for one of my ears. Sometime during my teenage years, I started to lose hearing in my ear, and had to wear a hearing aid.
That was a difficult time for me, because the hearing aids back then were large and uncomfortable, not to say ugly looking. I was embarrassed to be different from my friends, for a while. But luckily my outgoing nature took over and I decided I wasn’t going to be a recluse for the rest of my life.
My mum helped a lot too, thanks to her, by telling me in that cheerful way of hers that it’s not the end of the world. I expect that those children who are suffering from hearing loss feel the same way I did, so I often tell parents not to appear overly-worried in front of the child, but instead to encourage wearing of the hearing aid.
The hearing aid is a special device, fitted in or over the ear to amplify and modulate sound for the wearer. It feels similar to wearing an earphone or in-ear headphone, so you can imagine that it could be uncomfortable to wear it for a whole day, everyday.
Nowadays hearing aids are better designed for invisibility and comfort, and there are several types available. The common ones are:
- Behind the ear aids (BTE)
- In the ear aids (ITE)
- Receiver in the canal/ear (RIC/RITE)
- In the canal (ITC)
- Mini canal (MIC)
- Completely in the canal aids (CIC)
In this blog I have written articles about hearing aids, how to buy them, how to clean them, and introduction about types of hearing aids, for adults and for children. I have also written reviews for several brands and models of hearing aids, and will update with new reviews as soon as I can. I hope my blog will help you find the best hearing aid for you or your child. Happy reading then! 