You take 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 distressingly, your hearing aids aren’t working the way they used to. There are a few things you can do to troubleshoot the issue, thankfully. Just remember: your number one job is to avoid damaging your hearing aid additionally (or you might have to replace them).
Troubleshooting your hearing aid
You saved the owner’s manual that came with your shiny new hearing aids, right? 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 somewhat 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:
- Check your battery: You’ll still want to assess the battery power even if you had your hearing aids on the charger overnight. It may be a good plan to check if you might need new batteries or if the old ones are correctly inserted, especially if your batteries are replaceable.
- Check for noticeable damage: Do you observe any visible cracks or loose components around the shell of your hearing aid? Cracks, obviously, could suggest more extensive damage (or allow in moisture).
- Wax accumulation: Perform a visual inspection of your hearing aid to ensure that there’s no wax accumulation interfering with basic functionality. Wax can accumulate 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. Your hearing aid may feedback or simply fail to work if the microphone is obstructed.
Again, consult your owner’s manual on how you should address each of these issues. Self-maintenance is sometimes possible.
How can I tell when my hearing aid needs repair?
If your hearing aid continues to malfunction after you’ve performed basic maintenance and troubleshooting, it’s likely that your hearing aid will need to be professionally repaired. You need your hearing aids for almost every facet 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 do the repair in office and you can take it with you when you go.
Or, depending on the extent of the damage, you could get your hearing aids back in a few hours.
But rapid repair won’t be possible in all cases. A backup pair of hearing aids may be necessary in these situations. 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 crucial to have 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. Neglected hearing loss can impact your overall health, including your mental health. And it becomes all too easy to leave your hearing aids sitting in a drawer somewhere while your hearing continues to deteriorate.
Keeping those hearing aids in excellent working order is the secret to keeping your hearing healthy. And the best way to do that is to clean them, keep them charged, and, when needed, take your hearing aids to get some professional help.