You may be very familiar with the receiver, amplifier and microphone of your hearing aids - you know, the mission critical components. Then again, maybe you aren’t, but either way, these are the functional heart of your hearing aids. They capture sounds and then make them selectively louder before projecting them into your ear, making it possible for you to hear.

They’re also made of very small, very sensitive electrical components that must be shielded from the influences of the outside world.

The problem with this lies in the fact that your hearing aids have little use unless they’re actually in your ears, and, well, go with you, out in the world, where you live, work and play. And while you may have known about these little electrical components, it’s possible you were unaware of small devices known as wax guards.

Both your ears and the environments you encounter throughout the course of an average day can wreak havoc on that sensitive electrical infrastructure contained within your hearing aids. On any given day, your hearing aids will contend with wax, humidity, rain and other atmosphere-bound moisture, as well as sweat, which is full of corrosive salts.

There is a solution, whether you use Phonak wax guards or some other compatible brand: change them routinely.

What Are Wax Guards

Wax guards are not rocket science. They’re small, basic components of hearing aids that are designed to protect the internal circuitry as well as the overall device. Generally, they are small, flat little pieces of plastic that are easy to remove and replace. They shield the hearing aid from wax, dirt and dust, and to a lesser degree, against sweat and other environmental factors.

Why You Need to Change Your Phonak Wax Guard

There are several important reasons that you need to change your Phonak wax guards periodically. Changing your wax guards routinely will help protect your hearing aids from issues arising from exposure to:

-Wax: Ear wax can be just as damaging to your hearing aids as it can be deleterious to your hearing. Over time, if you are not consistent with changing your wax guards, the wax can obstruct the hearing aid and make it difficult or impossible for sound to be transmitted between the receiver and the microphone. In a word, earwax can clog up your hearing aids and stop them from working.

-Dirt and dust: Dirt and dust can also accumulate around a hearing aids receiver, which can muffle sounds or cause auditory feedback. Dust and especially dirt can also actually be fairly abrasive and if they are allowed to accumulate, can cause lasting damage to the receiver.

-Sweat and moisture: While the primary purpose of wax guards is not to protect the hearing aids from moisture, they can serve as a barrier. Both environmental moisture (like humidity and rain) and sweat can be damaging to your hearing aids, and sweat is the worst of the worst. Sweat contains not only water but also highly corrosive salts that can literally destroy your hearing aids if you don’t protect effectively against them.

When Do You Need to Change Your Phonak Wax Guards

The key to preventing the damage enumerated in the last section is to change your hearing aid’s wax guards periodically, be they Phonak wax guards or from some other brand. The important thing is keeping everything fresh, clean and in good working order.

Before you read any further - if your hearing aids are showing any signs of diminished performance that you think are attributable to a buildup of wax or dirt, you need to change your wax guards. The simple answer is, change them as needed.

However, even if you don’t think you need to change them, you should still do so one a routine basis. It’s a good idea to change your wax guards about once a month even if you don’t think you need to. You should also make it a habit to change the hearing aid tubing at least twice per year (or more if needed) and the hearing aid domes every two or three months or so.

How Else Can I Protect My Hearing Aids

Protecting your hearing aids from wax and moisture goes farther than using quality wax guards (like Phonak wax guards) and changing them routinely. There is more you can do to keep your hearing aids in pristine condition.

One is avoiding circumstances that would be overtly damaging to the hearing aids themselves. Don’t swim with them in or wear them in the rain, for instance.

Then there is also the good practice of maintaining and storing them properly especially at night. Keeping your hearing aids in a specialized hearing aid dryer or dehumidifier can significantly improve their long term performance.

Specialized dryers and dehumidifiers will help to dry out any excess moisture your hearing aids accumulated throughout the day, preventing premature corrosion of the sensitive electrical components and terminals. This will, in turn, also help your batteries last longer.

In addition, some dryers and dehumidifiers contain fans that circulate the air, hastening the restoration. Others contain small UV lights which irradiate the hearing aids and kill any microbes they may have picked up during the day, sterilizing them for the next day’s use.

Between routinely changing the wax guards, tubing and domes, and storing them in dedicated dryers and dehumidifiers at night, you’ll be doing as much as you reasonably can to maintain your hearing aids and keep them at peak performance.

Choosing the Right Wax Guards

If you have any additional questions about Phonak wax guards, wax guards in general or about dryers and dehumidifiers, get in touch with us. You can reach us at Sales@localbattery.com; let us know how we can help and we will be sure to do so!

In the meantime, check out our hearing aid accessories and cleaning tools and stock up if you’re running low. Hearing aids are not cheap and they certainly can be temperamental - being proactive will help you prevent any issues!