KEEP IT CLEAN TO BANISH BUGS

HEARING aids can make you prone to ear infections, which can put some people off them. ‘The hearing aid itself may be dirty,’ explains George Murty, a consultant ENT surgeon at University Hospitals of Leicester. ‘And if it’s not a perfect fit it can cause abrasions of the ear canal, which make it easier for bugs to get in. Also, a hearing aid can prevent wax and debris getting out, blocking the ear canal.’ The following may help: IF YOU have repeated infections, your hearing aid supplier may be able to ‘vent’ the hearing aid — putting a hole in it to help air get it in. ‘Some bacteria flourish when there is no oxygen’, says Mr Murty.

YOUR ear canal can change shape. ‘It’s not uncommon for it to change, even in adults,’ says Mr Murty. ‘This can affect the fit of the hearing aid, so you may need a new mould to be taken.’

KEEP your hearing aids clean. If using ones with ear moulds, wipe them every night with a soft, dry cloth or tissue, taking care not to get the main part wet. Nick Clive, an audiologist at London Hearing, suggests cleaning the earmould with antimicrobial wet wipes from a hearing centre.

‘If you have a hearing aid that sits behind the ear, once a week remove the ear mould from the hearing aid and wash it (check with your audiologist for precise instructions). Avoid pulling the tubing out of the ear mould as you may not get it back in.

Consider a drying kit — such as a box containing a UV lamp which dries out the hearing aid overnight — to keep to the device free from moisture caused by sweating, advises Mr Clive.

If you use in-the-ear hearing aids, don’t wash them — wipe with a dry tissue and remove wax from the opening with a soft, dry brush; avoid poking anything into the opening.

AVOID using hairspray when hearing aids are in place — it can clog up the sensitive microphones.