What Are Hearing Aid Accessories?

Once you’ve chosen the right hearing aid for you, you might want to think about picking up a few hearing aid accessories, which will complement your hearing aids and help you to get the most out of them.

Some hearing aid accessories are vital because they help to maintain your hearing aids in good order, while some are not essential, but can make the experience of wearing your hearing aids better. With that in mind, here are some of the most common hearing aid accessories:

Essential accessories

Batteries

Hearing aids are often battery-powered, so once your audiologist has fitted you with the right hearing device for your needs, check whether it’s rechargeable or not. If it doesn’t use a rechargeable battery, you’re going to want to stock up on button batteries so that you never run out of power when you really need it.

Hearing aid batteries come in a variety of sizes, so it’s important that you check your manual to get the right type. Your audiologist may even include a few batteries with your new hearing aid so that you can get started right away and if that is the case, you will have a good idea which batteries you need right off the bat.

Carrying spare batteries for your hearing aids is something that you should always do because you never know when a battery might run out and having a small supply with you will ensure that you can use your device uninterrupted.

A cleaning kit

If you’re wearing your hearing aid every day, you’re going to want to make sure that it’s clean and well-maintained for both hygiene purposes and to ensure that it doesn’t stop working suddenly. Luckily, you don’t really need all that much to keep your hearing aids clean. If you have a wax pick and a small cleaning brush, you can keep your hearing aids free of waxy build-up, dust and dirt. You may also want to use an audiologist approved hearing aid disinfectant on a regular basis too.

Optional accessories

These accessories may not be vital for hearing aid wearers, but they are useful:

Hearing aid dryer

A hearing aid dryer or dehumidifier can help to make wearing your hearing aids more comfortable, particularly if you live in an area of high humidity, or if you spend a lot of time exercising and getting sweaty. It will help to keep your hearing aid dry, which will help to prevent moisture damage as well as keeping your comfy.

Personalized hearing aid earmold

Hearing aid earmolds are custom made pieces of plastic that fit your ear perfectly, and which sit within the ear canal. They help to keep your hearing aid in place. You can get clear hearing aid earmolds, which do their job without drawing attention, but you can also get earmolds that are brightly colored or which feature charms and jewels. These are great accessories for children who may feel self-conscious about wearing hearing aids because they make them feel more fun and fashionable. Of course, adults can wear them too!

Bluetooth streaming devices

Your audiologist can usually recommend hearing aids that are Bluetooth compatible, which are useful because you can connect to your cell phone, television or music playing device with ease. However, for these hearing aids to work, you normally need to invest in a Bluetooth streaming device that is external to your hearing aid, but which works with it to make streaming possible. If you listen to a lot of media or speak on your cell phone a lot, it is certainly worth investing in one of these.

Assistive listening devices

Assistive listening devices are hearing aid accessories that can boost the effectiveness of your hearing aids in specific locations such as concert venues, classrooms or event halls. Some can even notify you when someone knocks on your door. Having one of these devices can help you to hear better in difficult environments, so do speak to your audiologist if you think they could benefit you.

Sweatbands

Okay, so sweatbands aren’t made specifically for people who wear hearing aids, but they are a useful accessory to have nonetheless. Why? Because they can help to keep sweat away from your hearing aids, thus protecting them from moisture when you’re being particularly active. 

If you have hearing loss, do not hesitate to get in touch with the experts at Davis Audiology. We can help you to find the perfect hearing aid for your needs and advise you on the use of hearing aid accessories. So, why not give us a call at (864) 810-6238 today?