Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Hearing Aids
Hearing aids typically cost between $1,500 and $5,000 each, with an average price of around $6,000 for a quality pair that uses the latest technology. Some companies may sell refurbished hearing aids at a lower price.
As with any product, a hearing aid is guaranteed to work only as long as the manufacturer’s warranty lasts. Most hearing aid manufacturers offer warranties that cover defective components for one to three years. Kept and cared for in optimal conditions, hearing aids should last most users four to six years, while seven or more years of reliable use is far less common.
Yearly hearing checks are recommended for anyone beyond the age of 45, and intermittently from childhood throughout adulthood. If you feel your hearing has changed for any reason, or if it has been more than three years since your last screening, schedule a hearing check with your local hearing care provider.
When you visit a hearing care specialist and get fit for hearing aids, your devices are molded specifically to the contours of your ear, meaning they should fit cleanly and comfortably. If irritation or discomfort becomes an issue, talk to your hearing care provider about using a new earmold material that does not irritate your skin, or having new molds of your ears taken so that your devices fit more comfortably.
Hearing Aid Care
Hearing aids should be cared for on a regular basis by cleaning them. Ask your hearing care provider to walk you through how to clean your devices, as each type of device will have components that are unique to that style of hearing aid. To clean the devices on your own, you’ll need a brush tool that can clean the small contours where dirt, dust, and earwax become trapped. A dehumidifying storage unit is recommended for safekeeping when they’re not in use, and will help prevent moisture damage.
Sleeping with hearing aids in place is usually a matter of comfort. While it may help some individuals hear their morning alarms a little better, there’s also a possibility that the units may fall out during sleep. The other question is whether sleeping while your devices are activated is a good use of battery life.
While many devices are built with the conditions of the ear canal in mind, units are typically not labeled as anything more than “moisture resistant.” This means that the units are not waterproof and probably won’t be protected against submersion (swimming, showering, or dropping them into water), but they will be protected from light moisture exposure.
You should wear your hearing aids for as long as you feel they are necessary each day, or for as long as they are comfortable. Most battery life expectations are based on wearing your devices for 12 to 16 hours each day.
Hearing Aid Batteries
The size of your hearing aid battery depends on the size of the units you’re using — which is directly correlated with how long they’ll last. The smallest hearing aids, like an invisible-in-the-canal style, will use the smallest batteries and get the least amount of use time. Larger hearing aids will use larger batteries, so they’ll typically last longer. Batteries tend to last between three and nine days.
Some manufacturers do make rechargeable hearing aid batteries in specific sizes that come with a USB charger, but standard zinc air batteries are not rechargeable.
Ear Care
Itchy ears are common for first-time hearing aid users. If itching continues for more than a few days, and you have no skin allergies, asking your hearing care provider for a different size of speaker tip for your receiver-in-the-canal or behind-the-ear hearing aids will often stop the itching. For custom earmolds, itching may be caused by moisture and bacteria on the shell, in which case a hearing aid dryer with a UV light will help kill the bacteria and alleviate the problem. Store-bought itch relief creams may help. If all else fails, talk to your hearing care provider about other options.
Earwax cleaning kits are available for purchase at most supermarkets and some grocery stores, and they are effective at removing excess wax. Typically, they consist of a solution that sits in the ear canal for several minutes to loosen cerumen, as well as a rubber bulb used to squirt warm water into the ear canal to clear out the wax. For some individuals, manual removal of the wax by a hearing health care professional is necessary.
Cotton swabs can cause damage if they’re pushed too far into the canal or pushed against the sensitive eardrum. Depending upon the consistency of your earwax, they can also clog the canal, making it difficult to hear with your devices. Other cleaning methods are recommended.
