Wax buildup is one of the main causes for hearing aids not working as well as they should, because wax clogs up the sound outlet or
the ventilation opening, resulting in weak, distorted sound, or no sound.

So, as a general rule, clean your hearing aids each day with a soft dry cloth. Make sure your hands are clean and dry before handling your aids. Don’t use water, cleaning fluids, solvents or alcohol, as these could damage your hearing aids. Use the multi tool if you have received one. MultiTool brushes can be purchased from your hearing care professional if you don’t have one or you have run out.

Schedule a visit with your audiologist at least once every 6 months to a year, for a thorough cleaning and check-up. If you have problems with wax buildup, you may need to schedule professional cleanings more often.

Last week I talked about in-ear hearing aids, but if you you have a behind the ear hearing aid or a BTE, do these things to clean it:

1. Gently brush the hearing aid clean.
2. Remove the ear-mould from the hook for cleaning.
3. Brush the ear-mould clean, then use the wax pick or wire loop to remove any stubborn debris.
4. Finally Wipe down the hearing aid and ear-mould gently with a soft cloth.

This will help you keep your investment working well for many years.
Hearing TV is bought to you by Edgecliff Hearing, and Mac Hearing.
More next week.

This is a time for us to have a keen ear and listen to the experts for advice and guidance.

But what if you have a hearing problem?  Spare a thought to those among us who have difficulty hearing conversation, and may find the television dialogue challenging to hear and the telephone a source of great frustration. Social isolation is a well-documented unwelcome feature of hearing loss, as it makes conversing with others difficult. People with hearing loss can socially withdraw and not initiate conversation, as they have been embarrassed or frustrated by previous efforts.  What can you do?

If you know someone has a hearing loss, then be patient when talking to them.  The best tactic is to slow your rate of speech down, which gives you time to better articulate and the listener time to follow the conversation even though some parts of your words are not 100% clear.  Never say “oh, never mind” if they ask for you to repeat something, as this is very disheartening and dismissive.  Instead try repeating or paraphrasing what you have said.
This is a time for greater patience and tolerance for our family, friends and neighbours.  And this will always be appreciated when conversing with someone with a significant hearing loss.

If you, or someone you know, has a hearing loss and needs assistance, then contact Edgecliff Hearing in East Sydney, or Mac Hearing in Cambelltown.

We understand and will provide a solution!

Signs and symptoms may include these:

• The muffling of speech and other sounds.
• Difficulty understanding words, especially against background noise or in a crowd.
• Trouble hearing consonants.
• Frequently asking others to speak more slowly, clearly and loudly.
• Needing to turn up the volume of the television or radio.

Hearing loss that occurs gradually as you age is common. About one-third of people between the ages of 65 and 75 have some degree of hearing loss. For those older than 75, that number is approximately 1 in 2.
Hearing loss is defined as one of three types:

1. Conductive (this involves outer or middle ear)
2. Sensory-neural (this involves inner ear)
3. and Mixed (which a combination of the two)

Along with age, chronic exposure to loud noises also contributes to hearing loss. Other factors, such as excessive earwax, can temporarily reduce how well your ears conduct sounds.

You can’t reverse most types of hearing loss. However, your hearing specialist can take steps to improve what you hear.
If you’re concerned then contact us at Edgecliff Hearing in East Sydney or Mac Hearing in Cambelltown.

Hearing devices, such as hearing aids or cochlear implant speech processors, are important items you rely on for day-to-day ‘getting on with your life’. They are ‘high value’ pieces of technology.
Imagine you one day you touch your ear, or reach over to the bedside table. and they’re gone.
You retrace your steps, dig under the couch cushions, clean under the stove and behind the bathroom sink, but you find nothing.
Realising a hearing device is missing can be heartbreaking and very, very stressful.
What do you do?
1. Retrace your steps and have a good look for them – 9 out of 10 lost aids show up within a couple of days.
2. If you have new technology and a smart phone Ap which tracks your hearing devices, then check the Ap to see if it identify where the lost aid is.
3. Hopefully you have the devices covered my Household Home and Contents insurance. This will have required you to contact your in insurance company to specify, or list the devices separately on your policy, with an individual description and value.
4. As soon as possible contact one of our clinics to discuss the situation, so that all avenues of replacement can be explored. Our clinics are here to advise and help you. We can also provide loaner devices for you to wear until your own lost ones are replaced.
Losing a hearing device is very, very stressful, but it doesn’t have to prevent you from hearing. A solution is always on hand and we can advise you of your options to get you hearing back, and getting on with life.

Over the past few years there have been major developments in hearing technology.
The latest Hearing Aids are really like mini computers enabling you to do so much more than just hear. Over the next few weeks we will touch on a few of the latest aids available, and this week i’ll talk about the advantages of a some hearing aids with this new technology.
Most quality hearing aids these days connect easily to Apple and Android devices via Bluetooth so you can use the Hearing Control app to easily manage your hearing aid settings and access all sorts of features. Features like:
an enhanced streaming performance lets you enjoy music or your favourite TV shows better than ever
you can answer your calls with a touch of a button and hear an entire conversation streaming directly to your hearing aids via Bluetooth
with the Starkey Livio you can geo-tag places or have the aids remember places you have visited & the settings so your hearing aids will adjust automatically to that environment when you return there
some hearing aids automatically change to a setting designed to reduce the annoying sounds of driving
the Livio automatically adjusts the hearing aid loudness over time, to help you transition to the new hearing aids more comfortably
if you lose them the app helps you easily locate the lost hearing aids by providing a location and a timestamp
So you can see that technology is advancing in leaps and bounds and will only help to enhance your lifestyle if you utilise the technology. It’s truly amazing stuff.
For more information on this, just call or visit our clinics in Sydney at Mac Hearing, Bella Vista Hearing or at Edgecliff Hearing.