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Hearing Care Guide

Understanding your hearing aids and knowing when to ask for help can make everyday care easier. This guide explains fitting checks, device maintenance, and earwax precautions. Your device instructions and individual medical needs still matter.

Fitting and Verification

Fitting and Verification

Choosing a hearing aid is only part of the process. Its physical fit, sound settings, and ease of use also need attention. Your hearing results, listening goals, ear shape, and ability to handle the device can inform these decisions. [1]

Programming adjusts how the aid processes and delivers sound. Verification checks how it performs. Real-ear measurement uses a small microphone tube in the ear canal to measure sound delivered by the hearing aid. A clinician compares these measurements with fitting targets and uses them to guide adjustments. ASHA describes real-ear measurement as the gold standard for fitting verification. [1]

Measurements and your experience answer different questions. Report uncomfortable loudness, whistling, problems with your own voice, or difficulty in particular situations. Ask how performance will be checked, what follow-up is available, and which services are included. Benefit can vary between quiet and noisy settings, and hearing aids do not eliminate every communication difficulty. [1]

Everyday Device Care

Device Care and Repair

Follow the instructions for your exact hearing aid and earpiece. Cleaning methods differ between styles and components: advice for a detachable non-electronic earmold may not be safe for an earpiece containing a speaker. Do not assume every part can be washed. [2,3]

Handle devices with clean, dry hands over a soft surface. Use the cleaning tools and replacement parts recommended for your model. Ask for a demonstration of filter, dome, battery, or charging care where applicable. Keep devices away from excessive heat and moisture, and keep small aids and batteries out of children's reach. [2,3]

If sound becomes weak, intermittent, or absent, note when the problem started and whether it affects one or both aids. Follow only the troubleshooting steps intended for users; do not open internal electronics. A provider can help determine whether cleaning, a replaceable part, an adjustment, or repair assessment is appropriate. [2]

Before arranging service, ask whether your brand and model are supported, what the assessment costs, whether warranty coverage applies, and how long repairs may take. Professional drying, loaner devices, and same-day work are not available everywhere; confirm these options rather than assuming they are included. [2]

Ear Health and Safety

Earwax and Safety

Earwax helps protect and lubricate the ear canal. Its presence alone does not mean it needs removal. Buildup can sometimes affect hearing or hearing aid performance, but a blocked feeling, ringing, or reduced hearing can have other causes. An examination helps determine what is happening. [4,5]

For routine cleaning, clean the outer ear rather than inserting cotton swabs, picks, or other objects into the canal. Do not use ear candles. Ask a health professional before putting drops or other liquids into your ears, particularly if you have had ear surgery, an eardrum perforation, or other ear conditions. [4,5]

Seek medical attention for ear pain, drainage, or bleeding. If hearing changes suddenly, seek medical attention immediately: sudden hearing loss can be a medical emergency. Do not assume it is wax or wait for a routine wax-removal or device-repair appointment. [5,6]

For more on how hearing works and what hearing changes can mean, read Understanding hearing loss and your test results.