vacuums for Hearing Aids

[ikoiko]

I am a two week wearer of Unitron Next 8 Moxis.

Yesterday I went in for some programming tweaks, and my audi checked the HA for how dirty they were....

Needless to say, they were clogged with wax in the trap. I did not clean them, wanting to know how much time between cleaning.

She recommends me getting a vacuum. It did do a great job and would reduce the time it will take to manually clean the domes and replace the traps.

I don't see much on the forums and was wondering on thoughts.

The vacuum seems to cost about $150...

I also saw a DYI kit on here to make an adaptor for the home vacuum... interesting!

[Jager]

What kind of vaccum are you looking at? The biggest problem with vaccuming your own HAs, is seeing what your doing. I probably would stay away from the home vac, sounds a little gimicky to me, but maybe not. Great idea though, kinda like a chia pet, not really good for anything, but makes somebody money. Your audiologist doesnt offer free cleanings? Something to consider doing to help reduce the amount of wax in your ear, is to clean your ears everday with alchohol and q tip. Just dip the q tip into the alchohol and swab the inside of your canal and then flip the q tip and dry the canal. Do not go in any farther then the cotton part of the q tip. Finish up with a tissue with a little achohol on it and swab from the helix down to the bowl of your ear and dry. Do not use water!! Water can cause yeast infections in your ear and for anybody who wears ITCs, it can cause soreness, think chaffing. Alchohol cuts the skin oil and evaporates quickly.

[ikoiko]

Thanks.
My Aud does have the vacuum and does do the cleaning, was looking for how others do it and if having a vac at home is popular. Judging from the (lack of) feedback, it is either not popular or not a topic one posts to.
I did find in our house a small portable vacuum I might install a hand-made adaptor. Duct tape, a pen cartridge is what I have so far. Looking into the final piece, the part which will do the actual probing. I am looking at a knitting needle, they are hollow... just need to find the smallest one.

Will also check with friends in the healthcare business, there must be a needle or something they use which is small enough......

But for cleaning the ears, yes - I will start today with your method, a worthwhile 2 -3 minutes!

[jay_man2]

I have a Jodi Vac that I bought online at Costco, but they appear not to sell them any more. They're also available online at ADCO Hearing: http://www.adcohearing.com/product202.html

[Sandra]

I also have the jodi-vac and use it frequently to keep my aids clean and free of wax. I found the cost was justified so as not to have to make an appointment whenever my aid need a bit of cleaning up.

Hate to say it, but q-tips should be kept out of ears at all times as they are apt to push the wax deeper into the ear. All ear docs will tell you it's a no no!

[RoseRodent]

I'm not a big one for wax but when I do get it it's stubborn. I use an empty 20ml syringe with a wide bore needle cut off half way up so that it's really short (can't end up too far inside the hearing aid) and isn't sharp to go through tubing or damage casings (or stab yourself by accident!). I use one to suck bits and pieces out of the vents and the other to blow stuff through with air. Cost is probably under $2 from the pharmacy, depending if you can get single packs or if you have to order them in boxes.

We kinda did the whole bit about cleaning your ears, and who says you shouldn't put a Qtip in there and what they are thinking when they say it. You shouldn't use a Qtip to jam into your ear as far as you can and saw back and forth, but there's little harm in using it to swab *around* very slightly inside the ear. If you follow the standard advice you shouldn't put a hearing aid into your ear either, really, so they have to make some exceptions to the usual rules that ears are self-cleaning and you shouldn't put anything smaller than your elbow inside them.

http://www.hearingaidforums.com/show...ght=clean+ears