You take good care of your hearing aids. Cleaning them every day, you make sure they’re safe and snug on their charger when you go to bed.
But you get pretty discouraged when your hearing aids abruptly stop working the way they used to. Thankfully, there are some steps you can take to troubleshoot the issue. Just remember: your main job is to avoid damaging your hearing aid further (or you may have to replace them).
Troubleshooting your hearing aid
You saved the owner’s manual that came with your beautiful new hearing aids, right? Hopefully, you did so that you can consult with your owner’s manual to undertake maintenance and troubleshooting. Following your owner’s manual is essential because every model of hearing aid is different.
Here are some things you can check on most models:
- Look for noticeable damage: Does your hearing aid have any obvious loose components or cracks around its shell? Cracks, clearly, could indicate more extensive damage (or let in moisture).
- Check your battery: You’ll still want to assess the battery power even if you had your hearing aids charging overnight. If your hearing aid has replaceable batteries, it may be a good plan to check if those batteries are correctly inserted or if a new one fixes the issue.
- Keep your microphone clear: Check your hearing aid to see if anything is blocking the microphone. Your hearing aid might feedback or simply fail to work if the microphone is obstructed.
- Wax buildup: Perform a visual check of your hearing aid to ensure that there is no wax accumulation interfering with standard operation. Even if you perform regular cleaning, sometimes wax can accumulate quickly, so it’s worth ticking this off your list.
Again, check with your owner’s manual on how you should approach each of these issues. Self-maintenance is sometimes possible.
When does my hearing aid need repair?
Your hearing aid will probably have to be professionally repaired if you do routine maintenance and it still malfunctions. You need your hearing aids for nearly every facet of your life so this might not sound very appealing.
You won’t necessarily be without your hearing aid for lengthy periods of time just because it needs to be serviced. In some instances, we can fix your hearing aid in office while you wait.
Or, you’ll be able to take your hearing aids in for professional help and get them back in just a few hours (this, obviously, depends on the extent of the damage, all the more reason to bring your devices in for repair as soon as you can).
But rapid repair will not be possible in every case. A backup set of hearing aids might be required in these situations. So if you have an old pair lying around, ask whether they will serve on a temporary basis. We may even be able to loan you a pair while you are waiting.
Get help with your hearing aids without delay
It’s essential to have your hearing aid checked and repaired if you begin to notice the audio quality is beginning to fail.
You’ll want to try to avoid any downtime. Your mental health and your overall health can be affected by untreated hearing loss. And it becomes all too easy to leave your hearing aids sitting in a drawer somewhere while your hearing continues to diminish.
Keeping those hearing aids in good working order is the secret to keeping your hearing healthy. And the ideal way to do that is to keep them clean, keep them charged, and, when necessary, take your hearing aids to get some professional help.