You go out of your way to ensure your hearing aids are well cared for. Cleaning them daily, you make sure they’re safe and comfortable on their charger when you go to bed.
Suddenly and distressingly, your hearing aids aren’t working the way they once did. Fortunately, there are a few measures you can take to troubleshoot the issue. Not doing any additional damage is your number one priority so you won’t need to replace them.
Hearing aid troubleshooting
You saved the owner’s manual that came with your beautiful new hearing aids, right? Hopefully, you did so that you can consult with your owner’s manual to do maintenance and troubleshooting. Using your owner’s manual is crucial because every model of hearing aid is different.
On most models there are some other things you can check, here are a few:
- Keep your microphone clear: Look for anything obstructing the microphone of your hearing aid. An obstructed microphone can cause feedback or can cause your hearing aids to sound broken or quiet.
- Look for visible damage: Does your hearing aid have any apparent loose components or cracks around its shell? Cracks, clearly, could indicate more significant damage (or allow in moisture).
- Check your battery: You’ll still want to check the battery power even if you had your hearing aids on the charger at night. If your hearing aid has replaceable batteries, it may be a good idea to check if those batteries are correctly inserted or if a new one solves the issue.
- Wax buildup: Make sure there is no wax on your hearing aid by giving it a visual inspection. Even if you undertake regular cleaning, sometimes wax can build up quickly, so it’s worth checking this off your list.
Again, check with your owner’s manual on how you might address each of these issues. Self-maintenance is sometimes possible.
How will I know when my hearing aid requires repair?
Your hearing aid will most likely need to be professionally repaired if you do routine maintenance and it still malfunctions. You need your hearing aids for nearly every facet of your life so this may not sound very appealing.
You won’t necessarily be without your hearing aid for lengthy periods of time just because it needs to be repaired. In some cases, we can fix it in office and you can take it with you when you leave.
Or, you’ll be able to bring your hearing aids in for professional assistance and have them back in just a few hours (this, of course, depends on the degree of the damage, all the more reason to get your devices in for repair as soon as you can).
But rapid repair will not be possible in every case. A backup pair of hearing aids may be required in these situations. So if you have an old pair lying around, ask whether they will serve temporarily. Or maybe we have a loaner pair you can borrow.
Don’t wait to get help with your hearing aids
It’s essential to have your hearing aid checked and repaired if you begin to notice the audio quality is starting to fail.
Any degree of downtime should be avoided. Your mental health and your overall health can be impacted by untreated hearing loss. Moreover, once your hearing aids are ignored in a box somewhere, it’s all too easy to pretend they don’t exist, all the while, your hearing grows worse and worse.
Keeping those hearing aids in excellent working order is the key to keeping your hearing healthy. And the ideal way to do that is to keep them clean, keep them charged, and, when needed, take your hearing aids to get some professional help.