You go above and beyond to ensure your hearing aids are well cared for. Cleaning them every day, you make sure they are safe and snug on their charger when you go to sleep.
But you get pretty discouraged when your hearing aids abruptly stop working the way they used to. Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to troubleshoot the problem. Not doing any additional damage is your top priority so you won’t have to replace them.
Hearing aid troubleshooting
Of course, when you first got your nice new hearing aids, you made a point of storing the owner’s manual in a safe spot. Hopefully, you did so that you can consult with your owner’s manual to do maintenance and troubleshooting. Each model of hearing aid can be somewhat different so it’s essential to follow the manual’s guidelines.
Here are some things you can check on most models:
- Keep your microphone clear: Check your hearing aid to see if anything is blocking the microphone. An obstructed microphone can create feedback or can cause your hearing aids to sound broken or silent.
- Look for noticeable damage: Does your hearing aid have any noticeable loose components or cracks around its shell? If you discover cracks, it could indicate that moisture is getting in and there might be more significant damage.
- Wax buildup: Perform a visual inspection of your hearing aid to make sure that there is no wax buildup interfering with basic functionality. Wax can accumulate quickly even if you clean your hearing aids frequently so make sure you double check.
- 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 be a good plan to check if those batteries are correctly inserted or if a new one resolves the problem.
Again, check with your owner’s manual on how you might address each of these concerns. Self-maintenance is sometimes possible.
When does my hearing aid require repair?
If your hearing aid continues to malfunction after you have performed basic maintenance and troubleshooting, it’s likely that your hearing aid will have to be professionally repaired. That may not always sound appealing, after all, you depend on your hearing aid for daily communication (not to mention dinners with your family, keeping 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 repaired. In some cases, we can fix it in office and you can take it with you when you leave.
Or, you’ll be able to bring your hearing aids in for professional assistance and have them back in a matter of a few hours (this, of course, depends on the extent of the damage, all the more reason to get your devices in for repair as soon as you can).
There are still some cases where such rapid repair is not possible. And in those cases, you might find yourself in need of a backup set of hearing aids. Perhaps you have an old pair that will do temporarily in a pinch. We might even be able to loan you a pair while you are waiting.
Don’t wait to get assistance with your hearing aids
If the audio quality is beginning to falter, it’s essential to get your hearing aids checked and repaired.
You’ll want to prevent any downtime. Neglected hearing loss can impact your general health, including your mental health. More to the point, once your hearing aids are ignored 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 secret to keeping your hearing healthy. And the ideal way to do that is to clean them, keep them charged, and, when necessary, take your hearing aids to get some professional repair.