You take care of your hearing aids. Cleaning them daily, 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 used to. Thankfully, there are a few measures you can take to troubleshoot the issue. Just don’t forget: your main job is to refrain from damaging your hearing aid further (or you might have to replace them).
Troubleshooting your hearing aid
You kept the owner’s manual that came with your shiny new hearing aids, right? You’ll want to take it out so you can use it for troubleshooting and, possibly, maintenance. Each model of hearing aid can be rather different so it’s essential to follow the manual’s guidelines.
Here are some things you can check on most models:
- Wax accumulation: 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 find cracks, it could mean that moisture is getting in and there might be more extensive damage.
- Keep your microphone clear: Check your hearing aid to find out if anything is obstructing the microphone. Your hearing aid may feedback or merely fail to work if the microphone is blocked.
- Check your battery: You’ll still want to assess the battery power even if you had your hearing aids charging at night. If your hearing aid has replaceable batteries, it may not be a bad idea to check if those batteries are inserted properly or if a new one solves the issue.
Again, consult your owner’s manual on how you should approach each of these issues. 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 need to be professionally repaired. That may not always sound desirable, after all, you depend on your hearing aid for day-to-day communication (not to mention dinners with your family, keeping up to date with your favorite Netflix series, and so on).
It’s certainly worth noting that “repair” doesn’t always translate into “mail your hearing aids in for service and wait a few weeks”. In some cases, 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 have them back in a matter of a few hours (this, obviously, depends on the degree of the damage, all the more reason to get your devices in for repair as soon as possible).
There are still some instances where such fast repair is not possible. A backup pair of hearing aids may be necessary in these situations. So if you have an old pair lying around, ask whether they will serve on a temporary basis. We might even be able to let you borrow a pair while you are waiting.
Don’t wait to get help with your hearing aids
It’s crucial to get your hearing aid checked 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 overall health can be impacted by untreated hearing loss. Moreover, once your hearing aids are ignored in a box somewhere, it’s all too easy to pretend they don’t exist, meanwhile, your hearing grows worse and worse.
Keeping those hearing aids in good 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.
