You take good care of your hearing aids. When you go to bed, you always put them snuggly on the charger and you clean them daily.
But you get pretty distressed when your hearing aids abruptly stop working the way they used to. Thankfully, there are a few measures you can take to diagnose the problem. Not doing any additional damage is your number one priority so you won’t need to replace them.
Hearing aid troubleshooting
Naturally, when you first got your sweet new hearing aids, you made a point of storing the owner’s manual in a safe place. Hopefully, you did so that you can check with your owner’s manual to do maintenance and troubleshooting. Using 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:
- Check your battery: You’ll still want to assess the battery power even if you had your hearing aids charging at night. It might be a good plan to check if you may need new batteries or if the old ones are properly inserted, particularly if your batteries are replaceable.
- Wax buildup: Make sure there’s no wax on your hearing aid by giving it a visual check. Even if you carry out regular cleaning, sometimes wax can accumulate quickly, so it’s worth ticking this off your list.
- Look for visible damage: Does your hearing aid have any noticeable loose components or cracks around its shell? If you discover cracks, it could suggest that moisture is getting in and there might be more significant damage.
- Keep your microphone clear: Look for anything blocking the microphone of your hearing aid. A blocked microphone can create feedback or can cause your hearing aids to sound broken or quiet.
Again, check with your owner’s manual on how you should approach each of these concerns. In some cases, you may be able to perform maintenance yourself.
When does my hearing aid need 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. You need your hearing aids for nearly every facet of your life so this might not sound really appealing.
You won’t automatically be without your hearing aid for extended periods of time just because it needs to be repaired. In some instances, we can repair your hearing aid in office while you wait.
Or, depending on the degree of the damage, you could get your hearing aids back in a few hours.
There are still some instances where such rapid repair is not possible. And in those situations, you might find yourself needing 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.
Get help with your hearing aids right away
It’s essential to get your hearing aid assessed and repaired if you begin to notice the sound quality is starting to fail.
Any amount of downtime should be prevented. Your mental health and your general health can be affected by untreated hearing loss. And it becomes all too easy to leave your hearing aids laying in a drawer somewhere while your hearing continues to decline.
Keeping those hearing aids in excellent working order is the secret to keeping your hearing healthy. Keeping them charged, clean, and when needed, professionally repaired is the best way to do that.