We are going through a difficult time due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared COVID-19 a global health emergency and pandemic. We are recommended to practice social distancing and stay home to prevent the spread of the virus. Due to these restrictions, people with hearing loss may have some difficulties in accessing care and maintaining their hearing aids and other communication devices.
Despite this difficult time, it is important to maintain your hearing health. Poor hearing health not only makes it harder to hear and communicate, but can complicate other health problems such as Alzheimer’s, dementia, loneliness, anxiety, and depression.
Here are a few tips to help you maintain your hearing health amid this COVID-19 outbreak:
Check to make sure you have a sufficient number of hearing aid batteries to keep your devices functioning properly for at least 2 months. If you do not have enough batteries, you can ask your audiologist to send you some. Otherwise, ask them to recommend any online stores, supermarkets, or pharmacies to buy them.
Distancing yourself from people is recommended, but prolonged isolation can lead to depression. To avoid this, you can make video calls to your friends and relatives to stay connected with them. This will relax your mind and help with feelings of loneliness.
Consider having a backup hearing device so that you can use it in a situation when your hearing aids are not functioning, and you cannot get them repaired. Ask your audiologist to recommend any additional hearing devices that can help you with your hearing loss when your hearing aids are not able to be used.
Simple workouts are good for your hearing health. These exercises help to keep the blood pumping throughout your body, including your ears, and keep the internal organs of your ears healthy. If you need to stay indoors, yoga or pilates provides exercise without the need for much equipment.
Excess wax in your ears can muffle sound, so remove the wax using a soft, damp cloth. It is better to contact your audiologist to ask about removing earwax. They can explain to you safe and effective methods to clean your own ears.
You should also keep your hearing aids clean to ensure proper hearing. Refer to your hearing aid owner’s manual or contact your audiologist to learn how to clean your hearing aids.
A healthy diet provides a source of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients essential for the long-term health of your ears. Along with exercise, good nutrition fuels the high metabolic needs of the inner ear with oxygen and energy.
We are providing drive-up service for programming or repairing your hearing aids. You stay inside your car in our parking lot, and our team members will come to pick up your device. You can wait inside your car if the repair is minor or schedule another visit to pick up your device if the repair requires more time.
We are following infection control and prevention strategies to ensure that we return your hearing aids free of infectious pathogens.
Routine hearing checkups are essential to identify any signs of developing hearing problems before they become worse. We are following CDC guidelines to stay safe and prevent the spread of the virus. You can visit us for routine checkups unless you are infected with any airborne diseases or have been instructed to complete quarantine.
If you experience any changes in your hearing or tinnitus (ringing or noises in your ears), contact us over the phone to check on the need for an appointment. Let us know your problems and ask whether an in-person visit is required.
We are open to serve you during these trying times. We are only seeing patients on a case-by-case basis and by appointment. Contact us to schedule an appointment.
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