You take good care of your hearing aids. When you go to bed, you always put them comfortably on the charger and you clean them daily.
Suddenly and discouragingly, your hearing aids aren’t working the way they used to. There are a few things you can do to diagnose the issue, thankfully. Not doing any further damage is your number one priority so you won’t have to replace them.
Troubleshooting your hearing aid
You kept the owner’s manual that came with your shiny new hearing aids, right? Hopefully, you did so that you can consult with your owner’s manual to do maintenance and troubleshooting. Each model of hearing aid can be somewhat different so it’s essential to follow the manual’s recommendations.
On most models there are some other things you can check, here are a few:
- Check for visible damage: Do you observe any visible cracks or loose components around the shell of your hearing aid? Cracks, obviously, could indicate more extensive damage (or let in moisture).
- Keep your microphone clear: Check your hearing aid to find out if anything is obstructing the microphone. Your hearing aid may feedback or simply fail to work if the microphone is obstructed.
- 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 idea to check if you might need new batteries or if the old ones are properly inserted, particularly if your batteries are replaceable.
- Wax accumulation: Be certain that there’s no wax on your hearing aid by giving it a visual check. Wax can build up quickly even if you clean your hearing aids frequently so make it a point to double check.
Once again you can learn how to deal with each of these concerns by referring to your owner’s manual. Self-maintenance is sometimes possible.
When does my hearing aid require repair?
Your hearing aid will probably need to be repaired professionally if you do routine upkeep and it still malfunctions. That might not always sound appealing, after all, you rely on your hearing aid for day-to-day communication (along with dinners with your family, staying up to date with your favorite Netflix series, and so on).
You won’t necessarily be without your hearing aid for extended periods of time just because it needs to be serviced. In some cases, we can do the repair in office and you can take it with you when you go.
Or, depending on the degree of the damage, you could get your hearing aids back in a few hours.
There are still some cases where such rapid repair is not possible. A backup pair of hearing aids might be necessary in these cases. So if you have an old pair lying around, ask whether they will serve temporarily. We may even be able to let you borrow a pair while you are waiting.
Don’t wait to get help with your hearing aids
If the sound quality is beginning to falter, it’s essential to get your hearing aids checked and repaired.
Any degree of downtime should be prevented. Neglected hearing loss can affect your overall 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 deteriorate.
Keeping those hearing aids in excellent working order is the key to keeping your hearing healthy. Keeping them charged, clean, and when needed, professionally repaired is the best way to do that.
