You take care of your hearing aids. Cleaning them every day, you make sure they are safe and comfortable on their charger when you go to sleep.
Suddenly and discouragingly, your hearing aids are no longer working the way they used to. There are several things you can do to diagnose the issue, luckily. Just remember: your main job is to refrain from damaging your hearing aid additionally (or you may need to replace them).
Hearing aid troubleshooting
You kept the owner’s manual that came with your shiny new hearing aids, right? You’ll want to take it out so you can use it for troubleshooting and, possibly, maintenance. Following 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: Check your hearing aid to find out if anything is blocking the microphone. A blocked microphone can cause feedback or can cause your hearing aids to sound broken or quiet.
- Check for visible damage: Does your hearing aid have any obvious loose components or cracks in its shell? If you find cracks, it could suggest that moisture is getting in and there could 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 might not be a bad plan to check if those batteries are inserted properly or if a new one fixes the problem.
- 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 accumulate quickly, so it’s worth checking this off your list.
Once again you can learn how to deal with each of these issues by referring to your owner’s manual. In some cases, you may be able to perform maintenance yourself.
When does my hearing aid need repair?
If your hearing aid keeps malfunctioning after you have performed basic maintenance and troubleshooting, it’s likely that your hearing aid will have to be professionally repaired. That might not always sound appealing, after all, you rely on your hearing aid for daily communication (along with dinners with your family, staying up to date with your favorite Netflix series, and so on).
You won’t automatically be without your hearing aid for extended periods of time just because it needs to be serviced. Sometimes, we can fix it in office and you can take it with you when you leave.
Or, depending on the degree of the damage, you could have your hearing aids back in a few hours.
There are still some cases where such fast repair is not possible. And in those situations, you may find yourself in need of a backup pair of hearing aids. Maybe you have an old pair that will do temporarily in a pinch. Or maybe we have a loaner pair you can borrow.
Get help with your hearing aids without delay
It’s essential to get your hearing aid assessed and repaired if you start to notice the audio quality is starting to falter.
You’ll want to prevent any downtime. Untreated hearing loss can impact your general health, including your mental health. 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, meanwhile, your hearing gets worse and worse.
Keeping those hearing aids in excellent working order is the key to keeping your hearing healthy. And the best way to do that is to clean them, keep them charged, and, when necessary, take your hearing aids to get some professional help.