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 sleep.
Suddenly and discouragingly, your hearing aids aren’t working the way they once did. Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to diagnose the problem. Not doing any further damage is your number one priority so you won’t have to replace them.
Hearing aid troubleshooting
You kept the owner’s manual that came with your shiny new hearing aids, right? 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.
On most models there are some other things you can check, here are a few:
- Check for noticeable damage: Do you observe any visible cracks or loose components around the shell of your hearing aid? If you discover cracks, it could indicate that moisture is getting in and there may be more extensive damage.
- Keep your microphone clear: Check your hearing aid to see if anything is blocking the microphone. A blocked microphone can create feedback or can cause your hearing aids to sound broken or silent.
- Wax buildup: Do a visual check of your hearing aid to ensure that there’s no wax buildup interfering with basic functionality. Even if you perform routine cleaning, sometimes wax can accumulate quickly, so it’s worth ticking this off your list.
- 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 might be a good idea to check if those batteries are correctly inserted or if a new one resolves the issue.
Again, check with your owner’s manual on how you might approach each of these concerns. Self-maintenance is sometimes possible.
When does my hearing aid require repair?
Your hearing aid will most likely have to be repaired professionally if you do routine upkeep and it still malfunctions. That might not always sound appealing, after all, you rely on your hearing aid for day-to-day communication (not to mention dinners with your family, staying up to date with your favorite Netflix series, and so on).
It’s definitely worth noting that “repair” doesn’t always translate into “mail your hearing aids in for service and wait several weeks”. Sometimes, we can do the repair in office and you can take it with you when you go.
Or, you’ll be able to bring your hearing aids in for professional help and have them back in a matter of a few hours (this, obviously, depends on the extent of the damage, all the more reason to bring your devices in for repair as soon as you can).
But quick repair won’t be possible in all cases. A backup pair of hearing aids might be necessary in these cases. So if you have an old pair lying around, ask whether they will serve temporarily. We might even be able to loan you a pair while you are waiting.
Don’t wait to get assistance with your hearing aids
It’s essential to get your hearing aid checked and repaired if you begin to notice the audio quality is beginning to falter.
You’ll want to try to avoid any downtime. Your mental health and your overall health can be affected by untreated hearing loss. Moreover, once your hearing aids are ignored in a box somewhere, it’s all too easy to pretend they’re not there, all the while, your hearing grows worse and worse.
Keeping those hearing aids in good 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 needed, take your hearing aids to get some professional help.