You go out of your way to ensure your hearing aids are well cared for. Cleaning them every day, you make sure they are safe and comfortable on their charger when you go to bed.
But you get pretty discouraged when your hearing aids suddenly stop working the way they did once. There are several things you can do to troubleshoot the issue, luckily. Just don’t forget: your number one job is to avoid damaging your hearing aid further (or you might need to replace them).
Troubleshooting your hearing aid
Naturally, when you first got your sweet new hearing aids, you made a point of putting the owner’s manual in a safe place. You’ll want to take it out so you can utilize it for troubleshooting and, possibly, maintenance. 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:
- Check for noticeable damage: Does your hearing aid have any obvious loose components or cracks around its shell? Cracks, clearly, could suggest more extensive damage (or let in moisture).
- Keep your microphone clear: Check for anything blocking the microphone of your hearing aid. Your hearing aid may feedback or simply fail to work if the microphone is blocked.
- Check your battery: You’ll still want to check the battery power even if you had your hearing aids on the charger overnight. It might be a good idea to check if you might need new batteries or if the old ones are correctly inserted, especially if your batteries are replaceable.
- Wax buildup: Do a visual check of your hearing aid to ensure that there’s no wax buildup interfering with standard operation. Even if you carry out routine cleaning, sometimes wax can accumulate quickly, so it’s worth ticking this off your list.
Again, consult your owner’s manual on how you might approach each of these concerns. In some cases, you may be able to perform maintenance yourself.
When does my hearing aid require repair?
If your hearing aid continues to malfunction after you’ve 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 depend on your hearing aid for daily communication (not to mention dinners with your family, staying up to date with your favorite Netflix series, and so on).
It’s certainly worth taking note that “repair” doesn’t necessarily 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 leave.
Or, depending on the degree of the damage, you could have your hearing aids back in a few hours.
There are still some instances where such quick repair isn’t possible. And in those cases, you might find yourself in need of a backup pair of hearing aids. So if you’ve got an old pair lying around, ask whether they will serve temporarily. We may even be able to loan you a pair while you are waiting.
Don’t wait to get assistance with your hearing aids
It’s crucial to get your hearing aid checked and repaired if you start to notice the audio quality is starting to falter.
Any degree of downtime needs to be avoided. Untreated hearing loss can affect your overall health, and that includes your mental health. And it becomes all too easy to leave your hearing aids sitting in a drawer somewhere while your hearing continues to diminish.
The best way to keep your hearing working properly is to keep those hearing aids working. And the best way to do that is to keep them clean, keep them charged, and, when necessary, bring your hearing aids to get some professional help.
