You go out of your way to ensure your hearing aids are well taken care of. When you go to sleep, you always put them snuggly on the charger and you clean them every day.
Suddenly and discouragingly, your hearing aids are no longer working the way they once did. There are several things you can do to diagnose the problem, thankfully. 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 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 check with your owner’s manual to undertake maintenance and troubleshooting. Each model of hearing aid can be somewhat different so it’s important to follow the manual’s guidelines.
Here are some things you can check on most models:
- Check your battery: You’ll still want to assess the battery power even if you had your hearing aids charging overnight. It may be a good idea to check if you might need new batteries or if the old ones are properly inserted, especially if your batteries are replaceable.
- Look for visible damage: Does your hearing aid have any apparent loose components or cracks in its shell? Cracks, clearly, could suggest more extensive damage (or let in moisture).
- Keep your microphone clear: Check your hearing aid to see if anything is obstructing the microphone. A blocked microphone can cause feedback or can cause your hearing aids to sound broken or silent.
- Wax accumulation: Make sure there’s no wax on your hearing aid by giving it a visual check. Wax can accumulate quickly even if you clean your hearing aids frequently so make sure you double check.
Again, consult your owner’s manual on how you might approach each of these concerns. Self-maintenance is sometimes possible.
When does my hearing aid require repair?
Your hearing aid will most likely need to be repaired professionally if you do routine maintenance and it still malfunctions. You need your hearing aids for nearly every facet of your life so this may not sound very appealing.
It’s definitely worth taking note that “repair” doesn’t always translate into “mail your hearing aids in for service and wait several weeks”. Sometimes, we can fix it in office and you can take it with you when you go.
Or, you’ll be able to bring your hearing aids in for professional assistance and get them back in a matter of a few hours (this, obviously, depends on the degree of the damage, all the more reason to bring your devices in for repair as soon as you can).
There are still some cases where such rapid repair is not possible. A backup pair 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. Or it’s possible that we have a loaner pair you can borrow.
Don’t wait to get assistance with your hearing aids
It’s essential to get your hearing aid checked and repaired if you begin to notice the sound quality is beginning to fail.
You’ll want to prevent any downtime. 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 deteriorate.
The optimum way to keep your hearing healthy is to keep those hearing aids working. And the best way to do that is to clean them, keep them charged, and, when needed, take your hearing aids to get some professional repair.
