Download Questions and Tips for Wearing Hearing Aids

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Questions and Tips for
Wearing Hearing Aids
A Guide for Parents
If you are deaf or hard of hearing, please let us know. We provide many free services including
sign language interpreters, oral interpreters, telephone amplifiers, note takers and written materials.
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Common questions
Q: When should my child wear the hearing aids?
Q: What if my child won’t wear the hearing aids
during all waking hours?
A: Your child should wear the hearing aids during all
waking hours.
A: You need to control wearing times. Slowly work
up to longer times. Short wearing times should
not last longer than a few weeks.
Q: What should I do if I see sores on the outer ear
or ear canal?
Q: How should I note my child’s progress with the
new hearing aids?
A: Look for redness or other signs of soreness. These
signs may be caused by the fit of the hearing aid.
Please call the clinic.
A: Notice how your child responds to sound each
day. Write down your concerns to discuss the
next time you visit the clinic.
Q: How do I know if the hearing aids are too loud
and painful for my child?
Q: How do you adjust the hearing aids?
A: Hearing aids have a safety feature that protects
your child from loud sounds.
Q: What can I do if my child won’t keep the
hearing aids in their ears and it’s not due to
soreness?
A: Try pairing time spent wearing hearing aids with
things that your child likes. You might read
stories or play with a special toy.
You can also try a Hanna Andersson Pilot Cap on
your child. (http://www.hannaandersson.com)
A: We make changes based on test results and your
report on your child’s responses.
Q: When changes are made to the hearing aid,
what should my child and I expect?
A: It will take time for your child to adjust to the
new sound from the hearing aids.
Q: What kind of warranty comes with hearing aids?
A: New hearing aids come with a warranty that
covers loss and damage.
Q: Are there longer warranties?
A: Yes. Ask at the clinic about extended warranties.
Q: What if I can’t afford hearing aids for my child?
A: You can talk to us about private health or state
insurance programs that support children who
have hearing loss.
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Ways to hold hearing aids in place
• Toupee tape. This is two-sided tape that is easy to
remove from skin and hair.
• Hearing aid huggies. These soft plastic tubes fit
around the ears and hold the hearing aids in place.
• Critter clips. These cute clips on a cord help
prevent lost hearing aids. The clips attach to
clothing and the other end of the cord loops over
the hearing aid hooks.
Tips for daily care of hearing aids
Every day you should:
• Check the case for cracks and dents.
• Check the tubing for cracks (often at the entry
to earmold). If found, change tubing or have us
change it.
• Check the tubing for moisture.
Do a listening check every day
There are two ways to do this:
1. Remove the hearing device from the earmold
and place the listening tube onto the end of
the hook.
OR
2. Put the listening tube over the open end of
the earmold.
• Then place the listening tube into your ears and
speak into the microphone. Take care not to
place the tube too close to your ears or speak too
loudly. The sound may be very loud to your ears.
• If there is a volume control on the hearing aid,
move the volume control while speaking.
• Listen for static or crackling sounds. There
should be none. Check that the hearing aid does
not distort the sound.
• Check the earmold for wax.
If you hear no sound or the sound is unclear:
• Check for battery “rust” (corrosion) on the
contacts. Contacts are the metal pieces inside the
battery compartment. We can clean them for you.
• Put in a new battery. Most problems can be fixed
by changing the battery.
• Check the battery strength with a tester and
replace as needed.
• Make sure the hearing aid is set to the correct
program if there is more than one.
• Make sure the volume control is set where it
should be.
• Clean wax out of the earmold.
• Check the tubing for moisture or clogging and
blow it out as needed.
If none of these tips work, call the clinic.
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If the hearing aid has feedback or whistling:
• Make sure the earmold is sitting in the ear
correctly.
• Remove any wax from the earmold.
Ongoing support
After you’ve chosen hearing aids for your child, we
will make sure that they work well now and in the
future.
• Check for moisture in the earmold tubing, and
blow it out if needed.
Hearing rehab (rehabilitation) is a process that takes
time. You and your audiologist will work out a care
plan. The main steps are:
• Lower the volume if there is a volume control
(This is a short-term fix until you come to the
clinic).
• The hearing aids are made to fit your child with
comfort.
• If the earmold is too loose or the tubing is
cracked, make an appointment.
• If we find wax is blocking the ear canal, we will
send you to the ENT doctor.
If you still have problems, call the clinic.
For informational purposes only. Not to replace the advice of your health care provider. Image courtesy of Hanna
Andersson. Copyright © 2013 Fairview Health Services. All rights reserved. SMARTworks 521543 – 07/13.
• We adjust the sound at the first fitting.
• Your child wears the hearing aids and get further
tune-ups as needed.
• You learn how to care for your child’s hearing aids.
• We suggest you come to the clinic every 4 to
6 months to have the hearing aids cleaned and
checked. This schedule may change as needed.