The holidays are here and it’s time for some to travel! Some of you will stay in the state while others will venture into colder states!! Whether you travel to Miami or Michigan or any of our wonder states here are some tips to keep your hearing aids running smoothly.
Pack some extra batteries. You never know when you lose some or drop them on the floor and can’t find them. Maybe you left them sitting on the table when you went from one place to another. Nothing worse than Christmas Morning and no hearing aid batteries and little ones hugging your neck and you can’t hear what they are telling you. So... take a couple of extra packs.
Do you have rechargeable hearing aids? Perhaps purchase a travel charger. Our hearing instruments can have a turbocharger as an accessory (for the style behind the ear). They charge the instruments from the dead to 70% in about 7 minutes. It is little and has a backup battery in it so it is perfect for a long day of travel. Take your cleaning tools! Brush off your entire device every morning. Should you encounter a problem, and your hearing aid is not amplifying you can always dip the bristles of your cleaning brush in a little rubbing alcohol and brush off the microphone openings of the hearing aid. (Make sure to turn the aid upside down so the mics point to the floor). Microphones can get clogged up with dried skin, oils, hairspray, and humidity may cause issues. Going from warm or hot to cold and back again can give a hearing instrument a fit. Sound has to be able to get into the hearing aid before it can be reproduced and transmitted into your ear. If the microphone gets debris of any type, then the quality and quantity of sound is compromised. So, brush off those mics every morning! You should have a little tool with a metal hoop at the end. (It may be on the same tool as the brush). You should also use the hoop to clean out openings that the sound comes out of. This is the end with the receiver. If you have a wax protector/ wax guard/protector in the end, then DO NOT use the pick only the brush. Using the pick on a wax guard will damage it. (Usually, the wax guard is a white piece of plastic).
If you have a wax guard then just brush the end off. You may also have a vent cleaner in your toolset. It looks like a 3-4” piece of thick fishing line. Your hearing aids may have a vent that runs from one end of the instrument to the other. It’s like a tunnel. Cleaning your vent out daily helps to keep your ears open. Wax Guards. These are in the tips of your hearing aids. They may be under the rubber “bud” or on a custom device. they are easily visible. Most manufacturers recommend changing them every 2-4 weeks. They should definitely be changed at least once per month. They can pick up oil that you may not see but can diminish your speech understanding. Make sure you have some with you. It only takes a spec of wax, dried skin, or oil to cause an issue. You could change it today and have it clog up tomorrow. You never know!
If you are having drastic temperature changes, you might want to invest $10-$15.00 in a “Dry-Aid” kit. It’s a little container that you put your instruments in at night and it will dry any collected moisture out to ward off problems.
Take your travel pouch. If you are flying, ask before going through security if you can leave your hearing aids in through the scanners. If not, put them in your pouch and inside a purse or carry-on luggage. DO NOT just lay in the gray trays that pass through the scanners... they seem to come up missing on the other side! You can leave your hearing aids on while flying! It’s your phone that has to go off or into an airplane mode. Have a wonderful holiday season and enjoy your time with family and friends! To Hear Better Is To Live Better!