Trouble hearing? Here’s how to know if your hearing aids need maintenance.
You take care of your hearing aids. You baby them. You charge them every night and clean them daily.
That’s why it’s so annoying that, abruptly and distressingly, your hearing aids aren’t working the way they should. Luckily, troubleshooting the issue is fairly simple. Just remember: avoiding damage is your number one task (or you may have to replace them).
Troubleshooting Your Hearing Aid
Always consult your owner’s manual when doing maintenance and troubleshooting because every model of hearing aid can be a bit different. On most models, these things can be checked:
- Look for visible damage: Check to see if there are any noticeable loose components or cracks around the shell of your hearing aid. Cracks could allow moisture in and might be an indicator of additional damage.
- Wax buildup: Perform a visual check of your hearing aid to make sure that there is no wax buildup preventing standard operation. Wax builds up rapidly so even if you have a routine cleaning schedule you still need to pay attention to this.
- Examine your battery: Even if you know your hearing aids spent the night on the charger, you’ll want to double-check the battery power. If your hearing aid has replaceable batteries, it may be a good idea to check if those batteries are in properly or if a new one fixes the issue.
- Keep your microphone clear:On occasion, the microphone can be blocked. Your hearing aid will sound silent or broken or have feedback if the microphone is blocked.
Each of these issues will have its own strategy so check your owner’s manual. In certain cases, you might be able to perform maintenance on your own. (But, once again, consult the instructions.)
When Does my Hearing Aid Need Servicing?
Your hearing aid will probably require professional repair if you keep having problems with it after doing these basic maintenance tasks. That may not always seem appealing, after all, you depend on your hearing aid for everyday communication (not to mention dinners with your family, keeping up to date with your favorite Netflix series, etc).
However, it’s worth mentioning that “repair” doesn’t always translate into “mail your hearing aids in” for service and wait a number of weeks. There are some circumstances where it can be fixed in shop while you wait.
Meaning, in some cases, you’ll be able to bring your hearing aids in for professional maintenance and have them back within a few minutes or hours (this, of course, depends on the scope of the damage, which is all the more reason to bring it in for repair as soon as possible).
Not all cases can be addressed in house though. A backup pair might be required in those cases. An old pair may be able to do a decent job as a backup so bring them in with you if you have a pair. There might even be a loaner set at our office that you can use until you get yours back.
Get Assistance With Your Hearing Aids Right Away
If your hearing aids are starting to fade, the audio quality is starting to falter, it’s essential to get it repaired.
That’s because you hope to avoid any downtime. Your general health and your mental health are affected by untreated hearing loss. More to the point, once your hearing aids are forgotten in a box somewhere, it’s all too easy to pretend they don’t exist, all the while, your hearing progressively worsens.
The best way to keep your hearing healthy is to keep those hearing aids functioning. And the best way to do that is to keep them clean, keep them charged, and, when needed, take your hearing aids to get some professional assistance.