Safely Handling Your Hearing Aids During COVID-19

One of the main recommendations being made to help protect yourself from the transmission of coronavirus is to not touch your face. However, hearing aid users are often accustomed to reaching up and changing listening programs, repositioning their devices, and other unconscious face touching.

If you are concerned about safely handling your hearing aids during COVID-19, our hearing health care professionals here at Hearing Associates of Las Vegas have some tips for you.

Wash Your Hands Before And After Handling Hearing Aids

Before you go to touch your hearing aids, it is best that you wash your hands. Not only is this a good practice to prevent build-up on the casing of your hearing aids, but it will help stop bacterial transmission. After you have finished touching your hearing aids, wash your hands again. If you aren’t about to wash your hands, try to keep hand sanitizer on you to provide a similar benefit.

Using Technology To Control Your Hearing Aids

If you have a hearing aid remote, but don’t use it often, now may be the time to break it out and start utilizing your hearing aid remote. That way, you can reduce the number of times you need to touch your hearing aids. You can also check with us to find out if your hearing aids come with a compatible smartphone app. With a paired app, you can control your hearing aids from your smartphone!

Maintain A Strict Cleaning Schedule

Hopefully, you have already been consistent with cleaning your hearing aids, wiping them down every night, and cleaning out all the crevasses at least once a week. However, if you have let things slide before, now is a good time to reform your habits.

By sticking to a stricter cleaning schedule, you can keep your hearing aids in good working condition and avoid needing more intensive repairs.

Keep Your Hearing Aid Batteries Fresh/Charged

Some hearing aid users will wait until their hearing aid batteries no longer carry a charge before changing them out. The stretching out of low-charge batteries can put a strain on your hearing aids, and they may run out of battery life at a time where you can’t easily change batteries.

Many styles of hearing aids will alert you with low battery beeps when you need to swap batteries or need to recharge your hearing aids.

Choose A Face Masks That Ties Behind Your Head

The CDC has recommended the use of face masks or cloth face coverings to help slow the spread of COVID-19. For hearing aid users who have hearing aids that rest behind their ears, a standard mask can be uncomfortable and dislodge their hearing aids.

Instead, opt for masks that tie behind the head. You can also design elastic face masks that stretch behind the head, rather than looping behind your ears.

Use Curbside Services For Hearing Aids Repairs

If you are having hearing aid issues that can’t be resolved remotely by our hearing instrument specialists, you can now access our hearing aid repair services through our new curbside services. This service will allow you to remain safely in your car as we come to collect your hearing aids and take care of them in our hearing aid lab.

To use our curbside services, all you need to do is call us and set up an appointment. When you pull up to the curb of our hearing clinic, we will come out with masks and gloves on to pick up your hearing aids and make the needed repairs.

Take Your Hearing Aids Out Over A Soft Surface

To prevent damage to your hearing aids, be sure to take them out over a soft surface. You can easily transform any surface, placing a towel over your bathroom counter. That way, if your hands slip, and your hearing aids fall, they won’t make direct contact with the hard counter.

Store Your Hearing Aids In Room Temperature, Dry Place

When your hearing aids aren’t in your ears—hopefully, only at night—they should be placed in a secure place, where they can be kept at room temperature and dry. A hearing aid case, or even better, a hearing aid dehumidifier is best to keep your hearing aids from being accidentally swept off a bedside table or have a glass of water knocked over onto them.

To make an appointment, whether for our curbside services or for an in-office appointment, please feel free to contact us. We will do our best to see you as soon as possible so that you don’t have to be without your ability to hear well!