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Hearing
aid care tips for children
Hearing aids are very intricate, high precision electronic units.
They have been carefully designed to withstand years of wear,
under the varying conditions in which your child will find himself
or herself each day. However, hearing aids may be damaged if exposed
to extreme conditions, severe blows, or general neglect.
1.
Do not drop your hearing aids.
Hearing aids can be damaged if they undergo an extreme blow. We
recommend that hearing aids are held over a soft surface during
cleaning, battery change etc. That way they are less likely to
be damaged by the fall if dropped.
2. Do not put the battery in your mouth.
Care must be taken so that hearing aid batteries are not accessible
to young children who may place them in their mouths. Keep batteries
out of children’s reach and discard used batteries carefully.
Do not change batteries in front of children or let them see where
you keep your supply.
Tamper
resistant battery drawers are available to help keep batteries
securely inside the hearing aid. In case of ingestion, contact
your physician.
3. Tell an adult as soon as your hearing aids sound different.
An adult (parent, teacher etc.) needs to be informed if the child
feels that his or her hearing aid sounds different than usual.
Then the adult can listen to the hearing aid, through a Listening
Set or other protective listening tube, to evaluate whether service
or adjustments are necessary.
4. Keep your hearing aids away from dogs.
Many dogs will chew on a hearing aid if given the opportunity.
Hearing aids should not be left where a dog can reach them.
5. Do not use a hair dryer or hairspray while wearing hearing
aids.
The extremely high temperature of a hair dryer and the chemicals
in hairsprays can damage hearing aids. Hearing aids should be
removed before using these things.
6. Do not get your hearing aids wet.
The hearing aids should never be exposed to water. They should
be removed before bathing, playing in heavy rainfall, or swimming.
Also, water or fluids of any kind should not be used to clean
the hearing aids. Water can be used to clean the earmoulds when
they are disconnected from the hearing aids.
7. Only clean with a clean, dry cloth.
The hearing aid should be wiped with a clean, dry cloth after
daily use. Do not use fluids of any kind to clean the hearing
aid. Water can be used to clean the earmoulds when they are disconnected
from the hearing aids.
8. Do not expose your hearing aids to extreme heat.
Certain materials inside of hearing aids can be affected by extreme
heat. To protect from such high temperatures, hearing aids should
not be left in direct sunlight on, for example, a windowsill or
a car window shelf.
9. Do not try to take hearing aids apart.
Despite children’s natural curiosity, they should never attempt
to "fix" their hearing aids. If there are problems with a hearing
aid, return it to the hearing healthcare professional for qualified
service.
10. Keep your
hearing aids in a safe place when not in use.
When not in use, hearing aids should be placed
in their storage case and kept in a dry place at room temperature.
This
article courtesy of Widex
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