You take care of your hearing aids. When you go to bed, you always put them comfortably on the charger and you clean them daily.
But you get pretty discouraged when your hearing aids abruptly stop working the way they did once. Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to troubleshoot the problem. Just don’t forget: your main job is to avoid 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 beautiful new hearing aids, right? You’ll want to take it out so you can use it for troubleshooting and, potentially, maintenance. Following your owner’s manual is crucial because every model of hearing aid is different.
Here are some things you can check on most models:
- Check your battery: Even if you know your hearing aids spent the night on the charger, you’ll want to double-check the battery power. It may be a good idea to check if you may need new batteries or if the old ones are correctly inserted, especially if your batteries are replaceable.
- Wax buildup: Do a visual check of your hearing aid to make sure that there is no wax accumulation interfering with basic functionality. Wax can build up quickly even if you clean your hearing aids regularly so make sure you double check.
- Look for noticeable damage: Does your hearing aid have any obvious loose components or cracks around its shell? Cracks, clearly, could indicate more extensive damage (or allow in moisture).
- Keep your microphone clear: Look for anything blocking the microphone of your hearing aid. Your hearing aid may feedback or simply fail to work if the microphone is blocked.
Again, check with your owner’s manual on how you might approach each of these issues. In some cases, you may be able to perform maintenance yourself.
When does my hearing aid require repair?
If your hearing aid keeps malfunctioning after you have performed basic upkeep and troubleshooting, it’s likely that your hearing aid will need to be professionally repaired. You need your hearing aids for almost every aspect of your life so this might not sound very appealing.
It’s definitely worth taking note that “repair” doesn’t always mean “send your hearing aids in for service and wait several weeks”. In some cases, we can repair your hearing aid in office while you wait.
Or, you’ll be able to take your hearing aids in for professional assistance and have them back in just a few hours (this, obviously, depends on the extent 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 isn’t possible. And in those cases, you might find yourself in need of a backup set of hearing aids. Perhaps you have an old pair that will do temporarily in a pinch. We may even be able to let you borrow a pair while you are waiting.
Get help with your hearing aids without delay
It’s essential to get your hearing aid assessed and repaired if you start to notice the audio quality is starting to fail.
You’ll want to prevent any downtime. Your mental health and your overall health can be impacted by neglected hearing loss. More to the point, once your hearing aids are forgotten in a box somewhere, it’s all too easy to pretend they’re not there, meanwhile, your hearing grows worse and worse.
Keeping those hearing aids in good working order is the key to keeping your hearing healthy. And the ideal way to do that is to keep them clean, keep them charged, and, when needed, take your hearing aids to get some professional repair.