Deaf/Hard of Hearing

Posted on: Wed, Feb 27 2008 5:18 PM

Posted by: Musician83 Posts: 65

Hello everyone!

Recently, I had to have one of my hearing aids looked at because I realized that I couldn't hear it squeal after I had changed the battery in it. I did some troubleshooting - trying several different batteries, and getting the same result. After I brought it in, I found out that the problem was that the microphone was clogged with wax! (Sorry if I grossed anybody out with that.) Has anybody else had this problem?

Later!
-Musician83

Posted on: Wed, Feb 27 2008 8:11 PM

Posted by: shellGVchick Posts: 1,261

Hearing Aids stopped working for me almost 20 years ago, I did have a little hearing aid kit.  Has a little brush and a little thing to wipe them off with. When I wore mine every couple days I'd just take a few to wipe it down. It's common. It's a tiny tiny brush, I mean tiny so it won't hurt the hearing aid. Where ever you got the hearing aids from should have given you some of that stuff. 

Posted on: Sun, Mar 2 2008 6:38 PM

Posted by: hondo812 Posts: 13

 Like Shell said you should have a small brush tool to do that with. Also there is probably a small wire loop for you to clean the tube out with.

My Audiologist also gave me a small round plastic box with some desicant in it for storage when not being used (i.e. sleeping) that helps to keep it dry. Remember, moisture is very bad for hearing aids.

Steve 

Posted on: Wed, Jun 11 2008 10:30 PM

Posted by: JeanR Posts: 40

Musician83:

Recently, I had to have one of my hearing aids looked at because I realized that I couldn't hear it squeal after I had changed the battery in it. I did some troubleshooting - trying several different batteries, and getting the same result. After I brought it in, I found out that the problem was that the microphone was clogged with wax! (Sorry if I grossed anybody out with that.) Has anybody else had this problem?

My husband has a terrible problem with ear wax and his first pair of hearing aids were constantly going back to the factory because of ear wax damange. We had to change styles to one where the main compontents of the aids now go behind the ear rather than inside so there is less chance of wax getting inside of them.  Now, the doctor has to remove the wax from his ears from time to time because it interferes with his hearing.

Posted on: Fri, Jul 18 2008 8:25 AM

Posted by: Leftydan Posts: 59

Hi,

I've worn hearing aids since I was 9-years-old when it was discovered in the 3rd grade that I wasn't just a dumb kid who couldn't talk right, but had an 80 to 85% (85 to 90% now that I'm 40) hearing loss. No matter what kind, ITE or BTE, or what brand, my excessive ear wax was always a problem blocking what little hearing I have left.

Here's how I've learned to deal with it. Periodically, say every 2 weeks, I use a commerical earwash that I get at Walgreen's, etc. Just follow the directions and you should be able to flush out 90% of the wax.

Caution! Don't use Q-tips or as my first audiologist told me, 'Don't put anything smaller than your own elbow in your ear!'

Then, every time before I in insert them, I use the little brush the others spoke of to remove any 'ear dandruff' as I call it and the little 'whisker' to clean out the tubes. When I turn them on, my hearing aids emit 10 LOUD beeps (because I can hear so little even with them) to let me know that they're working. If I don't hear the beeps, I repeat the cleaning steps.

The key here is to clean them before each use. It works for me.

Lefty