You go out of your way 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 bed.
But you get pretty discouraged when your hearing aids suddenly stop working the way they used to. There are a few things you can do to troubleshoot the problem, thankfully. Not doing any more damage is your number one priority so you won’t need to replace them.
Troubleshooting your hearing aid
Of course, when you first got your sweet new hearing aids, you made a point of putting the owner’s manual in a safe spot. Hopefully, you did so that you can check with your owner’s manual to do maintenance and troubleshooting. Every model of hearing aid can be rather 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:
- 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 might not be a bad idea to check if those batteries are inserted properly or if a new one solves the problem.
- Wax buildup: Make sure there is no wax on your hearing aid by giving it a visual check. Even if you undertake routine cleaning, sometimes wax can accumulate quickly, so it’s worth checking this off your list.
- 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 silent.
- Check for visible damage: Does your hearing aid have any apparent loose components or cracks around its shell? If you find cracks, it could indicate that moisture is getting in and there could be more extensive damage.
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.
How will I know when my hearing aid needs repair?
Your hearing aid will probably have to be repaired professionally if you do routine upkeep and it still malfunctions. That may not always sound appealing, after all, you depend on your hearing aid for day-to-day communication (along with dinners with your family, keeping up to date with your favorite Netflix series, and so on).
You won’t necessarily be without your hearing aid for lengthy periods of time just because it needs to be repaired. 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, of course, depends on the degree of the damage, all the more reason to get your devices in for repair as soon as possible).
But fast repair won’t be possible in all cases. A backup set of hearing aids may be needed in these situations. Maybe you have an old pair that will do temporarily in a pinch. Or maybe we have a loaner pair you can use.
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 audio quality is starting to falter.
Any amount of downtime should be prevented. Your mental health and your general health can be affected by neglected hearing loss. Moreover, once your hearing aids are forgotten in a box somewhere, it’s all too easy to pretend they’re not there, all the while, your hearing gets worse and worse.
Keeping those hearing aids in good working order is the key to keeping your hearing healthy. Keeping them charged, clean, and when necessary, professionally repaired is the best way to do that.