Hearing Aids: For Kids and Their Parents

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Hearing Aids For Kids and Their Parents

• Stephanie Cox and Laurie Greenberg

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Your Hearing Aid

• Battery
• MTO Switch
• Volume Control
• Microphone(s)
• Earhook
• Tubing
• Earmold
• Tip To distinguish the right hearing aid
  from the left, have your audiologist attach red
  and blue stickers to the hearing aid or use a
  permanent marker to place a small red or blue dot
  on each aid.
• Red Right
• Blue Left

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How Your Hearing Aid Works

• Sounds are picked up by the hearing aid
  MICROPHONE.
• The sound is made louder by the AMPLIFIER.
• The sound passes through the TUBING and the
  EARMOLD and enters the ear canal.
• The sound waves cause the eardrum to vibrate,
  setting the tiny middle ear bones into vibration.
• These vibrations are transferred into the cochlea
  in the inner ear where the information is sent to
  the brain.
• Tool www.hearingcenteronline.com/howaid2.shtml

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Taking Care of Your Hearing Aid

• Batteries
• Maintenance
• Cleaning
• Visual Inspection
• Listening Checks

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Batteries

• Batteries can be purchased at drugstores,
  Wal-Mart, Target, etc.
• The numbers and colors of batteries are standard
  across manufacturers.
• Sizes and Colors
• 675 Blue
• 312 Brown
• 13 Orange
• 10 Yellow
• 5 Red

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Batteries (contd)

• Battery Life
• Battery life begins as soon as the tab is
  removed. Replacing the tab after removing will
  NOT make the battery last longer.
• Battery life is dependent on many factors
  including
• Size of battery,
• Type of hearing aid,
• The number of hours the hearing aid is worn, and
• The severity of the hearing loss.
• - On average, zinc-air batteries will last 1-3
  weeks.
• Tip To track battery life, place the battery
  sticker on that day in your calendar each time
  you put in a fresh battery. You can then look
  back to see how long the battery has lasted.

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Batteries (contd)

• Always carry spare batteries with you.
• Batteries should be inserted into the hearing aid
  with the flat side up. If the battery door will
  not close, dont try to force it shut. The
  battery is probably in upside down.
• Safety Tips
• Hearing aid batteries are toxic.
• If a battery is swallowed
• See a doctor, and
• Call the National Button Battery Hotline collect
  at [phone].

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Maintenance

• Cleaning a BTE
• Earmold
• Use wax loop every day to remove any wax, dirt,
  etc. from all holes in the earmold.
• Occasionally, the earmold can be detached from
  the hearing aid and soaked in soapy water and
  left separated from the hearing aid to dry.
• Tip Wash only one earmold at a time to prevent
  hearing aid mix-ups
• - Hearing Aid
• Wipe with a dry cloth
• Never use cleaning solutions, alcohol, etc. on
  the hearing aid itself

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Maintenance

• Dry Aid Kit
• Every night, remove the battery and leave the
  door open. Place the hearing aid and earmold
  into the dry aid kit. This pulls out extra
  moisture and will make the hearing aid last
  longer.
• Keep the kit closed at all times, even when not
  in use.
• Follow directions for reactivating after all
  colored crystals are gone.
• Tool Maintenance Checklist

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Maintenance

• Visual Inspection
• Battery check
• No corrosion, dirt or rust on battery or inside
  battery compartment
• Use battery tester every morning to ensure
  sufficient battery strength
• Earmold
• Check for wax in holes
• Be sure it fits properly in the ear (no gaps)
• No cracks
• Tubing
• Not cracked, twisted, excessively hard or
  discolored
• Hearing Aid
• No cracks in casing
• Controls move easily
• Be sure it is clean

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Maintenance

• Listening Check
• Using a listening tube/stethoscope, talk into the
  hearing aid. While talking, listen for
• Pops
• Distortion
• Unwanted Noise
• Press on the casing of the hearing aid while
  listening. The sound should not cut in and out.
• Turn hearing aid on and off. Adjust the volume
  controls (if activated) and change between
  programs. There should be smooth transitions
  while performing these tasks.
• Tip The Ling 6 Sound Test is great for
  listening checks. Say the sounds ah, ee, oo, ss,
  sh, mm while listening.

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Oops! My Hearing Aid is Not Working

• Two main reasons your hearing aid might not work
• The battery is dead. Replace the battery and
  perform a listening check.
• The earmold is clogged with wax. Use the wax
  loop to remove any blockage.
• Your hearing aid may whistle because the earmold
  is not in your ear the right way. Push the
  earmold in all the way around.
• For any other problems, have your mom or dad call
  your audiologist.
• Tool Troubleshooting Guide for Parents

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What not to do

• Dont leave them where your dog can reach them.
• Dont take a bath or shower with your hearing
  aids on. Do NOT get them wet!!
• Tip If it gets wet, let it dry with the battery
  door open. Dont use a blow dryer on it!
• Dont let anyone play with your hearing aids.
• Dont let them get too hot or too cold.
• Dont wear them when youre really sweaty.

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Why do I have to wear my hearing aids ALL the
time?

• The more you wear your hearing aids, the easier
  it is to listen.
• You can hear what all your friends are saying.
  (Oh yeah, and your mom and dad, too)
• You might just do better in school because of
  them

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Frequently Asked Questions

• Q Do I wear it to bed?
• A Nope. Only when youre awake.
• Q Can I wear it during recess or sports?
• A If youre not too sweaty and you think they
  wont fall off, go ahead. Its probably a good
  idea to take them off.
• Q How long does my hearing aid last?
• A About 5-7 years if you take care of it. You
  should get your hearing checked about once a year
  though, just to be sure.

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Resources

• Tool
• Audiologist Information/Hearing Aid Record
• Use this to keep track of the important
  information about your childs audiologist and
  hearing aids.
• Websites
• www.HearingAidHelp.com
• www.hearinglossweb.com
• www.betterhearing.com