Why the Regular Substitution of the Wax Guards Is Necessary

There exists a small component, almost invisible, that does a work of enormous importance for who uses a hearing aid: the wax guard. It is a tiny filter, positioned in the point in which the sound enters the ear, and its function is that of blocking the cerumen, the dust, the humidity before these can arrive to damage the internal mechanism of the device. But here is the question that in many do not ask themselves: every how much time is it necessary to substitute it? And, above all, what happens if one forgets to do it?

In this article we explain, with simplicity and with concrete details, why the regular substitution of the wax guards is not a small maintenance gesture, but a true necessity for the health of your hearing and for the duration of your hearing aid.

What Is, Concretely, a Wax Guard

The wax guard is a small filter, often in mesh or in soft material, that is found at the tip of the hearing aid, in the part that goes inside the ear canal. Its task is one only, but fundamental: to permit the passage of the sound and, in the same time, to stop the wax of the ear, the particles of dead skin, the little quantities of liquid.

One must think that the ear canal is a warm and humid environment, and that the production of cerumen is a process continuous and natural. In the course of the day, the cerumen moves from the interior toward the exterior of the ear, and during this path it encounters precisely the wax guard. If this filter is clean and new, the cerumen remains on the surface and does not penetrates inside the device. If, instead, the filter is saturated, the situation changes completely.

What Happens When the Wax Guard Is Not Substituted

It is here that the problems begin, and they are more serious than what one thinks. When the wax guard is full of cerumen, various phenomena verify themselves:

The sound becomes weak and distorted. The wax blocks the passage of the acoustic waves, and the person who uses the hearing aid has the sensation that the volume is lowered. Often one thinks that the battery is finishing, but the problem is the filter.
The device works under stress. The receiver and the amplifier must to make a greater effort for to produce a sound sufficient, and this reduces the life of the internal components.
The cerumen penetrates inside the hearing aid. Once the guard is saturated, the wax passes beyond and deposits itself on the microphone, on the receiver, on the electronic circuits. At this point, the damage can become irreversible.
There is the risk of infections. A filter full of organic material, in a warm and humid environment, becomes a place in which the bacteria proliferate. This is not good neither for the ear canal neither for the general hygiene.

In practice, one passes from a small maintenance of few seconds to a repair from the audiologist that costs much more, both in money and in time without the hearing aid.

The Signals That Tell You It Is the Moment

It is not necessary to wait that the device stops to work. There are signs clear that indicate that the wax guard has necessity of a substitution:

The sound arrives more weakly than usual, even with the battery charged.
One perceives a sensation of “closed ear” when using the hearing aid.
The guard appears yellow, darkened, or visibly dirty.
The hearing aid produces a light whistle or a distortion that before there was not.
It is passed more than two-three weeks from the last substitution, depending on how much cerumen produces the individual ear.

A practical rule, suggested by many audiologists, is that of controlling the wax guard every evening, when one removes the hearing aid, and of substituting it at least every two weeks. For who has a production of cerumen abundant, the substitution should be also weekly.

How to Do the Substitution in the Correct Way

The operation is simple, but it is necessary to do it with attention and with the hands clean. Here the steps:

Wash well the hands with soap and dry them. This avoids to transfer dirt or bacteria on the new filter.
Remove the hearing aid from the ear and place it on a clean surface, well illuminated.
Use the small tool that is given together with the wax guards (usually a small stick with a tip). Insert it in the old guard and extract it with a delicate movement.
Insert the new guard pressing lightly until one feels that it is well seated in its place. It must not move, but neither must one force.
Verify the sound putting the hearing aid in the ear. If the sound is clear and full, the operation is done correctly.

A table of frequency that can help:

Production of cerumen	Frequency of substitution
Normal	Every 2 weeks
Abundant	Every 7 days
Scarce	Every 3 weeks
In case of doubt	Every week, without risk

The Bigger Picture: Taking Care of the Hearing in the Whole

The wax guard is one piece of a care more ample. Who uses a hearing aid knows that the hearing is not only a mechanical question, but involves the health of the entire auditory system. The cells of the inner ear, for example, have necessity of a good circulation of the blood and of nutrients for to maintain their function in the course of the years.

For this reason, many specialists suggest to their patients to adopt a approach complete: control of the hearing at least once at the year, protection from the loud noises, alimentation rich of antioxidants, and, in some cases, the support of integrators specific. There are products studied for the support of the auditory function, as for example Acuvit, that contains vitamins and minerals selected for to nourish the structures of the ear from the interior. It is not a substitute of the hearing aid, naturally, but a complement that works on the terrain biological. For who desires to inform itself better on this type of support, on the site acuvit.health one finds information detailed about the composition and the modality of use.

The important thing is to remember that no single gesture is sufficient: the hearing is preserved with a set of attentions daily, of which the substitution of the wax guard is the most simple but also the most often neglected.

A Practical Summary for the Every Day

For who wants a promemoria rapid to keep near the night table:

Control the wax guard every evening, for one minute.
Substitute it every two weeks at minimum, more often if the cerumen is abundant.
Use always the guards original or compatible with your model of hearing aid.
Never use cotton swabs or pointed objects for to clean the zone of the filter.
Keep a little scorta of guards in the case and one in the bag.
If the sound remains low also after the substitution, bring the device to the audiologist: the problem could be internal.
Affiancate to the maintenance of the device also a care of the hearing in general: alimentation, rest, protection from the noise, and, where appropriate, a support integrative.

In Conclusion

The wax guard costs little, lasts little, and asks little time. But its role is that of a sentinella at the door of your hearing aid. To neglect it means to risk a damage expensive to the device and, in the long period, a worsening of the quality of the listening. The regularity is all: two minutes every two weeks are nothing in comparison with the benefit of hearing clearly, every day, without effort.

The hearing is one of those senses of which one notices the importance only when it begins to diminish. To take care of it, also with the small gestures, is a act of respect toward oneself. And the substitution of the wax guard is, between all these gestures, the most simple and the most immediate. Begin tonight.