How to Change Your Hearing Aid Wax Guards

2020-03-16 | Frequently asked questions, Hearing Aids, Patient Resources, Troubleshooting

How to Change Your Hearing Aid Wax Guards

You need earwax to maintain your hearing health. Although earwax is a great friend to your ear, earwax is also your hearing aid’s enemy. A wax guard is designed to protect your hearing aid from earwax damage.

The Wax Guard’s Role

A typical wax guard is made of plastic and looks like a small ring. Hearing professionals refer to wax guards by several names including wax catcher, wax filter, or wax trap.

No matter what this tiny component is called, the wax guard is there to keep wax and other debris out of your hearing aid’s receiver and speaker. That may not seem like an important role. Yet, the reality is earwax damage is a leading reason that hearing aids fail to work properly.

How Often to Change Your Wax Guard

Your wax guard should be replaced when it becomes clogged. How often your wax guard is going to become clogged requires more explanation. How quickly or slowly an ear produces earwax varies from person to person.

An average user needs to change wax guards every month. If your earwax production is slower than average, you may be able to go several months between wax guard changes. Your ear may make earwax much faster than average. If that’s the case, you need to replace your wax guards every couple of weeks.

Knowing When It’s Time to Change Your Wax Guards

You’ll probably see the wax guard is clogged while you’re doing your regular hearing aid maintenance. However, we understand how life gets busy and hearing aid maintenance may have taken a backseat to your other priorities. You need to know another way to tell it’s time to change your wax guards.

When you’re having difficulty hearing through your hearing aid, your troubleshooting steps should include checking the wax guard. The reason for poor sound quality could be a wax guard covered in wax and debris.

Instructions for Changing Hearing Aid Wax Guards

Hearing aids come in a wide variety of models. Your hearing device may have a distinct design. That being said, these instructions work for most hearing aids.

  1. Take off your hearing aid’s dome if it has one.
  2. Open the shell that contains your new wax guards.
  3. Pull out one of the wax guard installation tools. Most tools have a pin on each end. One pin is visible. The wax guard is mounted on the other pin.
  4. Gently push the empty pin into the hole on the old wax guard.
  5. Gently pull the tool away from your hearing aid. The used wax guard should have come off.
  6. Turn the tool to the other end.
  7. Push the new wax guard into the spot where the used one was.
  8. Pull the tool away from your device. The new wax guard should be installed.
  9. Discard the tool and the used wax guard.

Doctors of Audiology in Louisiana

At SLENT Hearing & Balance Center, our hearing professionals are available to answer your questions about wax guards and other issues related to hearing aids. Contact us to schedule an appointment.

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Dr. Marissa Corneille, AuD Doctor of Audiology

Dr. Corneille received her doctor of audiology degree from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans in May 2018. She fulfilled her clinical externship year at SLENT from 2017-2018. She has completed internships at Island Audiology in Hawaii, North Oaks Hospital, and several audiology practices in the greater New Orleans area and Baton Rouge. Dr. Corneille is a member of the Louisiana Academy of Audiology and American Academy of Audiology.

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