6 Tips to Make Your Hearing Aids Work Better!

There are many factors that can improve the way your hearing aids work.  Some of them are so simple you will scratch your head wondering why you never thought of them.  

1. Get your hearing aids professionally detailed - Hearing aids need a good cleaning just like a car every once in a while.  The only difference is that they need to have earwax and dead skin cells cleaned out of them.  I typically see patients every 3 months to ensure that the aids are clean.  A detailed cleaning can take up to 20 minutes per hearing aid and is the most overlooked aspect of hearing treatment.  

2. Try a different rubber dome - There are many styles and sizes of domes.  If you have the wrong dome, you may be literally leaking benefit.  A bad dome can cause migration of your receiver outside of your ear or even excessive feedback (whistling sound).

3. Exchange your domes for a custom ear mold - The vast majority of hearing aid wearers use a receiver in canal device.  Most of them use a generic rubber dome.  However, a rubber dome isn't the best option for every type of hearing loss.  A custom ear mold can prevent migration of a device.  It can also prevent feedback and allow for proper high-frequency and low-frequency amplification to your hearing loss prescription.

4.  Start dehydrating your devices - Hearing aids are computers that live in harsh environments.  Even though hearing aids are getting better at resisting moisture, they are exposed to moisture from the skin almost all day long.  Moisture can damage microphones and cause corrosion.  The best way to remove moisture in my opinion is a  Zephyr Dry & Store Kit: https://amzn.to/2ANAyr4

‍5. Get your hearing re-tested - If it has been over a year since your last hearing test, you are due for a recheck.  If your hearing has changed, so has your prescription, and that means that your hearing aids aren't programmed correctly.  

6. Get Real Ear Measurement performed on your hearing aids - Real Ear Measurement is the only way to ensure your hearing aids are programmed correctly.  If you have never had Real Ear Measures performed on your hearing aids they are not programmed correctly.  This could be the single biggest thing you could do to maximize your hearing aid performance.  If you want to learn more about REMs watch this video: https://youtu.be/cHR0Oa6I-wY