Protect your investment with hearing aid accessories, care, and maintenance
Prescription hearing aids are a significant long-term investment in your quality of life, relationships, and daily well-being.
Because these sophisticated devices operate in the naturally warm, moist environment of your ear canal, their performance can gradually decline over time without proper care. Establishing a simple daily cleaning routine, utilising modern hearing aid accessories, and scheduling regular professional checks ensures your devices continue to deliver optimal clarity throughout their entire lifespan. Modern technology also makes it incredibly easy to expand your listening world by streaming audio directly from your favourite everyday electronics. Let the team at Courtenay Hearing Centre assist you today.
- Routine check-ups catch minor electronic or physical issues early, ensuring you never have to settle for poor, distorted, or intermittent sound quality.
- Simple preventative care, like clearing wax blockages and managing moisture, safeguards delicate internal microphones and receivers from permanent damage.
- Access expert help to link your instruments with your phone, advanced external loops, remote microphones, and specialised TV listening devices for crystal-clear media streaming.
Courtenay Hearing has clinics in Wellington, Paraparaumu, Waikanae, and Levin
The essential guide to daily care and professional tune-ups
Just like any high-performance electronic device, your hearing instruments require a blend of simple habits at home and expert clinical oversight to perform at their best. If left unserviced, everyday debris can accumulate, impacting your overall hearing experience.
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Managing wax filters and blockages: Earwax is the most common cause of sudden sound loss or fading. Changing your small wax filters regularly and using a soft brush to clear the sound outlets prevents debris from blocking the acoustic path to your eardrum.
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Combating moisture build-up: Perspiration and humidity can slowly corrode delicate micro-circuitry. Storing your devices overnight in a dedicated drying cup with moisture-absorbing desiccants or using an electronic drying system safely removes trapped dampness.
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Preventing acoustic tubing failure: For behind-the-ear styles, the clear acoustic plastic tubing naturally stiffens, cracks, or discolours over time, which alters the sound quality. Arranging a regular re-tubing service keeps the acoustic pathway flexible and clear.
- The value of an expert review: Booking a professional hearing aid adjustment service goes far beyond a basic cleaning. An experienced clinician or assistant carries out a comprehensive evaluation of all critical hardware, tests performance metrics, updates your internal software, and fine-tunes your settings to match any subtle shifts in your hearing needs. Watching step-by-step instructional care videos online is a great way to master these easy preservation tips at home.
Expanding your world with assistive listening technology
Modern hearing instruments do more than just manage conversation; they function as high-tech wireless headphones that integrate perfectly with your home entertainment and public spaces. Exploring the right layout of hearing aid accessories allows you to customize your environments effortlessly.
- Dedicated television streaming: If you find yourself turning the TV volume higher than family members prefer, adding a wireless television adapter solves this completely. These compact TV listening devices plug directly into your television and stream high-definition audio straight to your ears at your own independent volume level.
- Remote microphones and companion clips: Perfect for busy corporate meetings, noisy local restaurants, or lecture halls. A companion microphone can be clipped to a speaker or placed on a table to capture clear speech and transmit it directly to your devices from several metres away.
Step-by-step guide: connecting your hearing aid to a phone
Taking advantage of wireless phone connectivity lets you answer calls hands-free, stream music or podcasts, and adjust your device settings discreetly through companion smartphone apps. Use these simple instructions for connecting a hearing aid to a phone:
For Apple iOS devices:
- Ensure your hearing aid batteries are fresh (or fully charged), then turn the hearing aids completely off.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad and ensure Bluetooth is switched on.
- Scroll down and select Accessibility, then tap Hearing Devices.
- Turn your hearing aids back on to put them in pairing mode. Your devices will appear under the "MFi Hearing Devices" section.
- Tap on the name of your hearing aids and select Pair when the pop-up prompt appears (tap pair twice if you wear two devices).
For Android Devices:
1. Get the app: Install the manufacturer's App from the Google Play Store.
2. Turn on Bluetooth: Go to your phone's settings and verify that Bluetooth is turned on.
3. Open the app: Launch the app and follow the instructions. Allow any requested permissions for Bluetooth and location.
4. Restart your hearing aids: Put your hearing aids into pairing mode by restarting them:
- For rechargeable models: Place them in their charger and take them out.
- For disposable battery models: Open the battery drawer and close it again.
5. Connect: Keep the hearing aids close to your phone. When the app detects your devices and displays their names, tap Yes or select your hearing aids, then follow the prompts to pair both the left and right devices.
Keep your devices working perfectly
You do not have to put up with muffled sound, loose physical tubing, or frustrating phone connection drops.
Getting the absolute best out of your technology is simple when backed by local repair support and independent expertise. To arrange a comprehensive check-up, clear away built-up debris, or explore the latest streaming accessories, get in touch with Courtenay Hearing Centre today.
There is no fixed schedule, as earwax production varies from person to person. As a general rule, inspect your devices weekly and change the wax filter immediately if you notice a visible buildup of wax, if the sound output feels weak, or if the hearing aid stops working entirely.
Turn the device off immediately and remove the battery if it uses disposable cells (leave the battery door open). Wipe the exterior dry with a clean cloth, but never use an intense external heat source like a hairdryer or microwave, as this melts the internal components. Place the device inside an electronic drying kit or a sealed container with a desiccant pod for at least 24 hours before attempting to turn it back on.
A whistling or squeaking noise is known as acoustic feedback. It typically happens if the hearing aids are not seated quite correctly in your ear canal, if a significant buildup of earwax is blocking the canal and reflecting the sound outward, or if the physical casing or tubing has become loose. A quick clinical adjustment check can easily isolate and resolve the issue.