The life of a hearing aid

When we go to the hearing centers or hearing clinics, people with hearing loss always ask for the audiologist before they get a hearing aid: How long will the hearing aid last? The answer to this question is usually 5 to 8 years.

In fact, even if the same hearing aids are used by different people, their “life” are varies greatly. Some people may wear their hearing aids for 2 or 3 years before the hearing aids start to be overhauled, the shell is damaged, the sound is distorted and the hearing aids have to be replaced; but Some people may wear their hearing aids for 10 years, and the hearing aids still look intact and sound good.

So, how long do hearing aids last? It is related about what factors can affect the life of a hearing aid and how can we extend the life of hearing aids.

There are 6 factors affect the life of a hearing aids:

1.The materials for the manufacture of hearing aids.

While most hearing aids are designed to be durable, some components are made of plastic, metal, silicon, polymers, and other materials that experience some degree of deterioration over time.

2.Hearing aid wearing environment.

This hearing aid is usually more prone to problems than other hearing aids if you are in a humid or dusty environment.

3.Storage conditions for hearing aids.

The storage conditions of hearing aids when they are not being worn, such as whether they are dry or not, may also affect the longevity of hearing aids.

4.How often to clean your hearing aids.

Most people can’t imagine not washing their face, hair or bathing for months, and similarly, hearing aids can’t “endure” long-term “dirty”.

5.Hearing aid maintenance frequency.

Most hearing aids have some consumable parts that need to be replaced regularly at the fitting service center, such as the sound guide tube of the behind-the-ear machine, silicone earplugs, and the anti-earwax mesh cover of the custom machine.

6.individual’s physical condition.

Some chemicals produced by the body’s metabolism can affect the plastic and metal components of hearing aids, causing discoloration or corrosion.
Some people have oily skin and can produce a lot of earwax or sweat, which can affect the life of hearing aids.

How can we extend the life of hearing aids

According to the 6 factors that affect the life of hearing aids, we have listed the following precautions for prolonging the life of hearing aids.

1. Be careful when taking and wearing hearing aids in daily life. You can sit on a soft place, such as a sofa; and pay special attention not to let children and pets play with the hearing aids, so as to avoid the hearing aids being damaged by impact and falling.

2. Please clean your hearing aids every day according to the guidance of a professional fitter, and go to the fitter service center for professional cleaning and maintenance every 3 months or at least 6 months.

3. If you are often in a humid, dusty environment, or sweat a lot, please ask a professional fitter to learn about some hearing aid protection measures, such as using a hearing aid protective cover and choosing a hearing aid with dustproof and waterproof functions.

4. When not wearing a hearing aid, open the battery door after removing the hearing aid, take out the battery, and place it in a drying box with dehumidification function.

5. If the hearing aid is not used for a long time, please take out the battery to avoid battery leakage, which will corrode and damage the internal parts of the hearing aid.

The life of hearing aids may vary for different hearing-impaired people.If you want to wear hearing aids for a longer time, it is very important to cherish and care for hearing aids.