You take care of your hearing aids. When you go to sleep, you always put them snuggly on the charger and you clean them daily.
Suddenly and discouragingly, your hearing aids are no longer working the way they used to. Fortunately, there are a few measures you can take to diagnose the problem. Not doing any further damage is your top priority so you won’t need to replace them.
Hearing aid troubleshooting
Of course, when you first got your sweet new hearing aids, you made a point of storing the owner’s manual in a safe spot. Hopefully, you did so that you can check with your owner’s manual to undertake maintenance and troubleshooting. Using your owner’s manual is important because every model of hearing aid is different.
Here are some things you can check on most models:
- Keep your microphone clear: Check your hearing aid to find out if anything is blocking the microphone. An obstructed microphone can cause feedback or can cause your hearing aids to sound broken or silent.
- Check your battery: You’ll still want to check the battery power even if you had your hearing aids charging at night. If your hearing aid has replaceable batteries, it might not be a bad plan to check if those batteries are correctly inserted or if a new one solves the issue.
- Look for noticeable damage: Does your hearing aid have any apparent loose components or cracks in its shell? If you find cracks, it could indicate that moisture is getting in and there could be more significant damage.
- Wax accumulation: Make sure there’s no wax on your hearing aid by giving it a visual check. Even if you carry out routine cleaning, sometimes wax can build up quickly, so it’s worth checking this off your list.
Once again you can discover how to address each of these issues by consulting your owner’s manual. In some cases, you may be able to perform maintenance yourself.
How will I know when my hearing aid needs repair?
If your hearing aid keeps malfunctioning after you have performed basic upkeep and troubleshooting, it’s likely that your hearing aid will have to be professionally repaired. You need your hearing aids for almost every aspect of your life so this may not sound very appealing.
It’s certainly worth noting that “repair” doesn’t always mean “send your hearing aids in for service and wait a few weeks”. In some cases, we can fix it in office and you can take it with you when you go.
Or, depending on the degree of the damage, you could get your hearing aids back in a few hours.
But fast repair won’t be possible in every case. A backup pair of hearing aids might be needed in these situations. Maybe you have an old pair that will do temporarily in a pinch. We may even be able to loan you a pair while you are waiting.
Get help with your hearing aids right away
It’s crucial to have your hearing aid assessed and repaired if you start to notice the sound quality is beginning to fail.
Any amount of downtime should be avoided. Untreated hearing loss can affect your overall health, and that includes your mental health. And it becomes all too easy to leave your hearing aids laying in a drawer somewhere while your hearing continues to deteriorate.
Keeping those hearing aids in excellent working order is the key to keeping your hearing healthy. Keeping them charged, clean, and when necessary, professionally repaired is the best way to do that.
