You take good care of your hearing aids. When you go to bed, you always put them snuggly on the charger and you clean them daily.
Suddenly and discouragingly, your hearing aids aren’t working the way they once did. Thankfully, there are some steps you can take to diagnose the problem. Just remember: your number one job is to avoid damaging your hearing aid further (or you might need to replace them).
Troubleshooting your hearing aid
Of course, when you first got your sweet new hearing aids, you made a point of putting the owner’s manual in a safe place. Hopefully, you did so that you can consult with your owner’s manual to undertake maintenance and troubleshooting. Each model of hearing aid can be rather different so it’s important to follow the manual’s recommendations.
On most models there are some other things you can check, here are a few:
- Look for visible damage: Does your hearing aid have any noticeable loose components or cracks around its shell? If you discover cracks, it could mean that moisture is getting in and there might be more extensive damage.
- Check your battery: Even if you know your hearing aids charged all night, you’ll want to double-check the battery power. If your hearing aid has replaceable batteries, it may not be a bad idea to check if those batteries are inserted properly or if a new one solves the problem.
- Wax accumulation: Make sure there’s no wax on your hearing aid by giving it a visual check. Wax can build up quickly even if you clean your hearing aids regularly so make sure you double check.
- Keep your microphone clear: Check for anything obstructing the microphone of your hearing aid. A blocked microphone can cause feedback or can cause your hearing aids to sound broken or silent.
Again, check with your owner’s manual on how you should approach each of these concerns. In some cases, you may be able to perform maintenance yourself.
When does my hearing aid need repair?
Your hearing aid will probably have to be professionally repaired if you do routine upkeep and it still malfunctions. You need your hearing aids for almost every aspect of your life so this may not sound very appealing.
You won’t automatically be without your hearing aid for extended periods of time just because it needs to be serviced. In some cases, we can fix your hearing aid in office while you wait.
Or, you’ll be able to bring your hearing aids in for professional assistance and get them back in a matter of a few hours (this, of course, depends on the extent of the damage, all the more reason to bring 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 might be necessary in these cases. Perhaps 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.
Don’t wait to get help with your hearing aids
If the audio quality is beginning to fail, it’s essential to get your hearing aids checked and repaired.
Any amount of downtime should be prevented. Your mental health and your general health can be affected by neglected hearing loss. Moreover, once your hearing aids are ignored in a box somewhere, it’s all too easy to pretend they don’t exist, meanwhile, your hearing grows worse and worse.
Keeping those hearing aids in excellent working order is the secret to keeping your hearing healthy. And the ideal way to do that is to clean them, keep them charged, and, when necessary, bring your hearing aids to get some professional help.