Wax and Dirt:
More than 75 percent of all hearing aid repairs are due to moisture and earwax accumulating in the hearing aid. The vast majority of these repairs are 100 percent preventable. It is extremely important to clean the entire hearing aid every time it is removed from your ear by wiping it off with a lightly dampened cloth. There are special electronic cleaning solutions that your audiologist can recommend. It is better to use special electronic cleaning solutions than a water-dampened cloth. Your audiologist can also give you a special wax removal tool. This tool can be used to remove wax and dirt deep down in the small opening of the hearing aid where sound enters the ear. It is important to check this opening in the hearing aid EVERY day, and remove even the smallest amount of wax.

Moisture:
To better protect your investment, use a DRY-AID KIT every night! Non-electric dry-aid kits only cost $10-15, and they are small enough to travel with. The only problem with non-electric dry-aid kits is that they rarely eliminate all the moisture that can damage the hearing aid circuit. Electronic dry-aid kits are the best, and the cost is typically $75-100. They include a germicidal light that kills bacteria and other germs. They also have an extremely strong desiccant pack to absorb moisture, as well as fans to circulate air around the internal components of the hearing aid. It is a good idea to put your hearing aid in a dry-aid kit EVERY day at night while you are sleeping. The hearing aid's electronic components can easily malfunction when exposed to too much moisture. This is one of the number one problems of hearing aid users in the gulf coast states (ex: Texas, Louisiana, etc). Preventive maintenance is the key to obtaining a long life from your hearing aid. A well maintained hearing aid can easily last 5 to 7 years, maybe longer.

Hearing Aid Batteries:
All batteries are toxic and dangerous if swallowed. Keep all batteries (and hearing aids) away from children and pets. If anyone swallows a battery it is a medical emergency and the individual needs to see a physician immediately.

One question often asked is "How long does the battery last?" Typically they last 7-14 days based on a 16 hour per day use cycle. Batteries are very inexpensive, costing less than a dollar each. Generally, the smaller the battery size, the shorter the battery life. The sizes of hearing aid batteries are listed below along with their standard number and color codes.

* Size 5: RED
* Size 10: YELLOW
* Size 13: ORANGE
* Size 312: BROWN
* Size 675: BLUE

Today's hearing aid batteries are "zinc-air." Because the batteries are air-activated, a factory-sealed sticker keeps them "inactive" until you remove the sticker. Once the sticker is removed from the back of the battery, oxygen in the air contacts the zinc within the battery, and the battery is "turned-on". Placing the sticker back on the battery will not prolong its life. Since many of today's automatic hearing aids do no have "off" switches, removing the battery at night assures that the device is turned off. Zinc-air batteries have a "shelf life" of up to three years when stored in a cool, dry environment. Storing zinc-air hearing aids in the refrigerator has no beneficial effect on their shelf life, in fact, quite the opposite may happen. The cold air may actually form little water particles under the sticker. Water is made of oxygen and hydrogen. If the water vapor creeps under the sticker, the oxygen may contact the zinc, and the battery could be totally discharged by the time you peel off the sticker! Therefore, the best place to store batteries is in a cool dry place, like the back of your sock drawer - not the fridge!