Maximize Your Hearing Aid Experience: Care and Maintenance Tips
Table of Contents
Introduction
- Who is Jamie HAND?
- What is Starkey?
- What is the acclimation process?
Where You Should Be in the Acclimation Process
- Adjusting to Your New Hearing Aids
- Noticing New Sounds
- Increased Speech Understanding
- Feeling Less Fatigued
Care and Cleaning Tips
- Why Clean Your Hearing Aids?
- How to Clean Your Hearing Aids
- Storing Your Hearing Aids
- Wax Guards or HearClears
Smartphone Connectivity and Companion App
- Benefits of Smartphone Connectivity
- Features of the Companion App
Additional Features and Benefits
- Customizable Settings
- Tinnitus Relief
- Remote Adjustments
- Rechargeable vs. Battery-Powered Hearing Aids
Pros and Cons of Hearing Aids
Frequently Asked Questions
- How long does it take to get used to hearing aids?
- Can hearing aids restore my hearing to normal?
- How often should I replace my hearing aid batteries?
- Can I wear hearing aids while swimming?
- Will my insurance cover the cost of hearing aids?
Where You Should Be in the Acclimation Process
Adjusting to Your New Hearing Aids
Congratulations on your new hearing aids! As Jamie Hand, a licensed audiologist with Starkey, Mentioned in the previous video, it takes time to get used to wearing hearing aids. However, if You've been wearing them each day and in more varied settings and environments, you should start to Notice some changes.
Noticing New Sounds
One of the first things you should notice is that you're hearing sounds you haven't heard in a long time. Sounds like the microwave ding, your dog's nails on a wooden floor, the furnace or air conditioner kicking in, and the turn signals in your car. These sounds may seem small, but they can make a big difference in your overall hearing experience.
Increased Speech Understanding
You should also notice increased speech understanding in places like restaurants and crowded events. These settings may still be challenging, as they are even for people with normal hearing, but it should be easier to understand what the person with you is saying. You should also be relying less on lip reading than before.
Feeling Less Fatigued
Hopefully, you're noticing that it takes less effort to listen, and you're starting to feel less mentally and physically fatigued when listening is hard. It's also exhausting, so you should be less tired at the end of a social gathering or activity. More than anything, your hearing aids should be more comfortable to wear so that you hardly notice they're on, and you don't have to think much about them other than putting them in and taking them out each day. They won't feel Second nature quite yet, but you're getting closer to that every day.
Care and Cleaning Tips
Why Clean Your Hearing Aids?
Like any high-tech electronic device, hearing aids need proper care to maximize their performance and to keep them lasting a long time. The biggest reason to clean your hearing aids regularly is that they're exposed to things like sweat, moisture, and earwax on a daily basis. All Starkey hearing aids are designed to repel those things, but earwax can still build up.
How to Clean Your Hearing Aids
It's good practice to wipe your hearing aids at the beginning or end of each day. Simply use a dry, soft cloth to wipe down your hearing aids and your hearing aid cleaning tool to brush off the speaker and microphone. Don't use Water, solvents, cleaning fluids, or oils to clean your hearing aids, just the cleaning cloth and brush. This shouldn't require more than a minute or two, and like I said, if you make it part of your morning or evening routine, it will soon become a habit.
Storing Your Hearing Aids
It's also important to store your hearing aids properly whenever you're not wearing them. If you have rechargeable hearing aids, your charging station is the ideal storage spot and can be plugged in next to your bed on a nightstand or a dresser. If your hearing aids have batteries, make sure to open the battery door to turn off your hearing aids and store them overnight in a safe place.
Wax Guards or HearClears
Last but not least, let's talk about the wax guards or HearClears. These handy little pieces of plastic are great for keeping wax out of sensitive areas of your hearing aids and need to be changed out regularly, particularly when they get plugged. You should have gotten a set of HearClears with your new hearing aids. If you need more, reach out to the Denver Logistics Center your audiologist directed you to.
To replace old wax guards, take a new application stick and insert the empty end straight into the used wax guard on your hearing aid. Pull the application stick straight out to remove it. Don't twist it. The opposite end has a new, fresh wax guard. Stick that straight into your hearing aid, push firmly, and then pull the application stick straight out again. Don't twist it. How often you have to replace wax guards depends on your earwax production. If you're a heavy wax producer, you'll have to swap them out more often, but most people should replace wax guards at least once a month.
By following these simple care and maintenance tips, your hearing aids should provide many years of better hearing. We have a lot more care and cleaning tips. To find them, visit the support section at starkey.com.
Smartphone Connectivity and Companion App
Benefits of Smartphone Connectivity
In the third video of this series, Jamie Hand will cover smartphone connectivity with Starkey hearing aids and the companion app. There are many benefits to smartphone connectivity, including:
- Adjusting your hearing aids' volume and settings discreetly
- Streaming phone calls, music, and other audio directly to your hearing aids
- Using your smartphone as a remote control for your hearing aids
- Accessing additional features and settings through the companion app
Features of the Companion App
The companion app is available for both iOS and Android devices and provides a wide range of features and settings to customize your hearing experience. Some of the features include:
- Customizable sound profiles for different environments
- Tinnitus relief sounds and settings
- Remote adjustments from your audiologist
- Battery life monitoring and alerts
- Find my hearing aids feature
Additional Features and Benefits
Customizable Settings
One of the biggest benefits of Starkey hearing aids is the ability to customize your settings to your specific hearing needs. Your audiologist can adjust your hearing aids' volume, frequency response, and other settings to provide the best possible hearing experience.
Tinnitus Relief
Many people with hearing loss also experience tinnitus, a ringing or buzzing sound in the ears. Starkey hearing aids offer a range of tinnitus relief sounds and settings to help manage this condition.
Remote Adjustments
If you need to make adjustments to your hearing aids' settings, you don't always have to visit your audiologist in person. With Starkey's remote adjustments feature, your audiologist can make changes to your hearing aids' settings from a distance, using the companion app.
Rechargeable vs. Battery-Powered Hearing Aids
Starkey offers both rechargeable and battery-powered hearing aids. Rechargeable hearing aids are convenient and eco-friendly, while battery-powered hearing aids offer longer battery life and are easier to replace on the go.
Pros and Cons of Hearing Aids
Pros
- Improved hearing and speech understanding
- Increased social interaction and quality of life
- Customizable settings for individual needs
- Tinnitus relief
- Smartphone connectivity and companion app
Cons
- Cost
- Maintenance and cleaning requirements
- Adjustment period
- Possible discomfort or irritation
- Not a complete solution for all types of hearing loss
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to get used to hearing aids?
It can take several weeks to several months to get used to wearing hearing aids. It's important to wear them consistently and in a variety of settings to help your brain adjust to the new sounds.
Can hearing aids restore my hearing to normal?
Hearing aids can improve your hearing and speech understanding, but they cannot restore your hearing to normal. They are a tool to help manage hearing loss and improve your quality of life.
How often should I replace my hearing aid batteries?
The frequency of battery replacement depends on the Type of hearing aid and the battery size. Your audiologist can provide guidance on how often to replace your batteries.
Can I wear hearing aids while swimming?
No, hearing aids should not be worn while swimming or in other situations where they may be exposed to water.
Will my insurance cover the cost of hearing aids?
Some insurance plans cover the cost of hearing aids, while others do not. It's important to check with your insurance provider to see what is covered.