You go above and beyond to be certain your hearing aids are well taken care of. Cleaning them every day, you make sure they are safe and snug on their charger when you go to sleep.
Suddenly and distressingly, your hearing aids aren’t working the way they once did. There are several things you can do to troubleshoot the issue, luckily. Not doing any further damage is your top priority so you won’t have to replace them.
Troubleshooting your hearing aid
You kept the owner’s manual that came with your beautiful new hearing aids, right? You’ll want to pull it out so you can utilize it for troubleshooting and, possibly, maintenance. Every model of hearing aid can be somewhat different so it’s important to follow the manual’s recommendations.
On most models there are some other things you can check, here are a few:
- Wax buildup: Do 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 regularly so make sure you double check.
- Look for visible damage: Does your hearing aid have any noticeable loose components or cracks in its shell? If you find cracks, it could mean that moisture is getting in and there may be more significant damage.
- Keep your microphone clear: Check your hearing aid to find out if anything is obstructing the microphone. A blocked microphone can create feedback or can cause your hearing aids to sound broken or silent.
- 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 may be a good idea to check if those batteries are correctly inserted or if a new one resolves the problem.
Once again you can find out how to address each of these issues by consulting your owner’s manual. In some cases, you may be able to perform maintenance yourself.
When does my hearing aid require repair?
Your hearing aid will most likely 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 may not sound very appealing.
You won’t automatically be without your hearing aid for lengthy periods of time just because it needs to be serviced. In some cases, we can repair your hearing aid in office while you wait.
Or, you’ll be able to bring your hearing aids in for professional help and get them back in just 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 you can).
There are still some cases where such fast repair is not possible. And in those situations, you might find yourself in need of a backup pair of hearing aids. Perhaps you have an old pair that will do temporarily in a pinch. We might even be able to let you borrow 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 start to notice the sound quality is starting to fail.
You’ll want to avoid any downtime. Untreated hearing loss can affect your general health, including your mental health. And it becomes all too easy to leave your hearing aids sitting in a drawer somewhere while your hearing continues to decline.
The optimum way to keep your hearing working properly is to keep those hearing aids working. 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.
