Anyone who wears hearing aids knows, the little micro-computers they use to hear their world are highly advanced and very susceptible to damage.

Hearing aid manufacturers work endlessly to improve their products. A large part of the cost of modern hearing aids is due to intense research and development. Manufacturers strive to improve wearability, appearance, fitment, and user experience. But they also go all-out to improve the types of materials used to construct the aids and ways to protect those aids from the damaging effects of moisture and wax. The quality of build for hearing aids is essential. Like any other product, a primary focus of manufacturing hearing aids is so those devices last.

A considerable part of any patient's adaptation to wearing hearing aids is adjusting to how they hear using this new artificial sound. Once they have adapted and "relearned" how to hear, those little devices are no longer something they "have" to put on their ears each morning. Those aids become a part of the wearer's daily reality. However, like the process of learning to hear again, caring for the highly advanced micro-computer they wear does require effort.

Typically, if a hearing aid makes it through the first few weeks, if routinely cleaned and properly adjusted by a professional, that device will last many years. In fact, on average, the research shows people are wearing their hearing aids for 5.4 years.

However, this is much longer than the manufacturer is willing to provide loss and damage protection, so getting those aids to last 5.4 years is not difficult, but it does require routine care.

The standardized care plan of most hearing care providers is to prescribe routine appointments to keep hearing aids in proper working order. A crucial part of caring for a hearing is those office visits to have them cleaned every 3 to 5 months.

A hearing care provider is your best advocate when it comes to preserving and protecting your initial investment. With their help, a hearing aid can last well into the fourth or even fifth year.

The longevity of a hearing aid requires effort. But, by comparing the required steps of the initial fitting, the ongoing counseling, and the proper tuning of those aids, a routine care plan is small.