5 Easy Steps to Remove Wax Guard Stuck in Hearing Aid

Written by the Nano Hearing Aids Team
Reviewed for Accuracy by Lindsay Roberts, AuD.

Lindsay Roberts
5 Easy Steps to Remove Wax Guard Stuck in Hearing Aid

If a wax guard gets stuck in your hearing aid, it can cause huge problems for you in listening well with your hearing aids. In this article, we’ll discuss how you can remove a stuck wax guard from your hearing aid, and ways to prevent wax guards from getting stuck in the first place.

The proper way to remove the wax guard that got stuck in your hearing aids is to remove it by using a special wax guard remover application stick that you will either be provided by your hearing aid manufacturer, or you’ll have to get it from other sources.

wax guard stuck in hearing aid

Read on to know how you can use an application stick to remove a stuck wax guard from your hearing aid.

Steps to Take to Remove the Wax Guard from the Hearing Aid

In this part, we will look into the steps you need to follow while removing the ear wax guard from your hearing aid. Here’s how you can remove the wax guard that got stuck in your hearing aid-

  1. Insert the empty end of the application stick into the wax guard. 
  2. Make sure to push the stick directly into it. You don’t have to twist the application stick, it will stick to the wax guard by itself.
  3. Pull the stick outwards to pull out the old and stuck wax guard. 
  4. Use the exact opposite end of the stick and proceed to insert a new and clean wax guard firmly into your hearing aids. 
  5. Finally, pull out the application stick and discard it.

You will be able to find the application stick easily as most wax guards come with one. You will have to use both ends of your circular holder or wax guard remover application stick to finish the process. You will need to use one end to remove the stuck wax guard and use the other end to insert the new one.
Follow the above-mentioned steps carefully, and you will be able to safely remove the stuck wax guard, and then insert a new one so that you can keep using your hearing aids properly. 

Your hearing aid must be well maintained and cleaned in order to work at its best. Here are some cleaning tools for hearing aids that you should think about.

Why Do Wax Guards Get Stuck in Hearing Aids?

Wax guards are really tiny, and they are designed like yokes. They are placed inside the ear canal and are designed to protect the receiver or speaker of the hearing aids from ear wax. As they are very small in size, they can often get stuck inside the ear canal if there is enough ear wax inside it. Also, the change of weather can mess with the size of the hearing aids, which can cause the wax guard to get stuck in the hearing aids. 
Mainly, getting filled with too much ear wax or moisture can cause the wax guards to get stuck inside the hearing aids. Also, the wax guards can suffer from tears and wear over time. The more they are used, the less effective they can get, and with time, they might not fit well as they are supposed to. It can cause your wax guard to get stuck in the hearing aids, and your hearing aid to sound distorted. That’s when it becomes a must that you remove the stitch wax guard and replace it with a new one.

How to Prevent Wax Guards from Getting Stuck in Your Hearing Aids?

You can try and prevent your wax guards from getting stuck in your hearing aids by replacing them from time to time. They should be periodically replaced to keep your hearing aids in proper function. It’s ideal to change your wax guards every month, but it actually depends on how much ear wax gets produced in your ears.

If your ears produce too much wax, then you might have to change your wax guard every two weeks. It’s important that you change your wax guards on time. If too much ear wax gets built up in your wax guards, they can get stuck inside your hearing aids. Then you’ll have to go through all the hassles of removing the wax guards. But if you replace them in time, you’ll be able to finish the task smoothly, and your hearing won’t be hampered at all. 
So, the key is to replace the wax guards in time. Check your wax guards regularly to see how much ear wax has built up in them, and then replace them before they get to the situation of getting overfilled and stuck. 

Hearing Aids

Are Wax Guards Even Useful?

Wax guards are highly useful for your hearing aids. They act as barriers to keep ear wax from building up in the hearing aids. Apart from ear wax, wax guards also help keep moisture, debris, and dust from infiltrating and clogging the receiver and microphone of the hearing aids. The receiver and microphone of hearing aids can malfunction or get damaged due to moisture, dust, or earwax. Hearing aids can’t work properly if they get clogged with wax or debris. 
Wax guards work to keep your hearing aids safe by keeping ear wax and other debris from entering the device and sticking to the functional components of the device. They help your hearing aids to work well, and they also extend the lifetime of the devices too. 

Additionally, Hearing aid tubes must be updated every 6 months since they get hard and yellowish with time. Continue reading to learn how to properly fit a hearing aid tube.

Final Words

If wax guards get stuck in your hearing aids, they can cause huge problems for your hearing aids. You won’t be able to listen properly through your hearing aids, as the sounds will become less clear, and the overall quality of the hearing aids will drop significantly. So, it’s paramount that you remove the stuck wax guards from your hearing aids so that you can listen better, and then replace them with a new one so that your hearing aids remain safe from getting clogged and damaged by ear wax, dust, moisture, or debris. You can easily remove and replace wax guards by following the aforementioned steps. 

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: Can hearing aid wax guards be cleaned?

Ans. They can’t be cleaned totally, so it’s better to replace them with a new one.

Q: Is it possible to clean earwax from the hearing aids?

Ans. Yes, you can clean ear wax directly from the hearing aids by using hearing aid cleaning tools.

Q: Can you use hearing aids without wax guards?
Ans. You can, but it’s better to use wax guards as they will provide your hearing aids protection from ear wax and other debris. The lifespan of your hearing aids will also increase.

Q: How problematic ear wax is for hearing aids?

Ans. While using hearing aids, they will normally come in touch with ear wax. But if too much ear wax gets clogged into the hearing aids, they can highly damage the hearing aids, and cause them to malfunction. 

Q: Are all hearing aid wax guards the same? 

Ans: Filters of varying sizes may be found in different hearing aid models. If you mean that all hearing aid filters are the same size, the answer is clearly "No." different manufacturers of hearing aids have distinct filters that may or may not be compatible.

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