You take care of your hearing aids. Cleaning them every day, you make sure they are safe and comfortable on their charger when you go to bed.
Suddenly and distressingly, your hearing aids aren’t working the way they once did. Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to diagnose the problem. Just remember: your main job is to avoid damaging your hearing aid further (or you may have 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 consult with your owner’s manual to undertake maintenance and troubleshooting. Each model of hearing aid can be rather different so it’s essential to follow the manual’s guidelines.
On most models there are some other things you can check, here are a few:
- 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 regularly so make sure you double check.
- Keep your microphone clear: Look for anything obstructing the microphone of your hearing aid. Your hearing aid may feedback or simply fail to work if the microphone is obstructed.
- 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 might need new batteries or if the old ones are correctly inserted, especially if your batteries are replaceable.
- Check for noticeable damage: Does your hearing aid have any apparent loose components or cracks in its shell? Cracks, obviously, could suggest more significant damage (or allow in moisture).
Once again you can discover how to deal with each of these concerns by referring to your owner’s manual. In some cases, you may be able to perform maintenance yourself.
How can I tell when my hearing aid requires repair?
If your hearing aid continues to malfunction after you’ve performed basic maintenance 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 may not sound very appealing.
It’s definitely worth taking note that “repair” doesn’t necessarily translate into “mail your hearing aids in for service and wait a few weeks”. In some cases, we can fix it in office and you can take it with you when you leave.
Or, depending on the level of the damage, you could get your hearing aids back in a few hours.
There are still some cases where such fast repair isn’t possible. A backup pair of hearing aids might be needed in these cases. So if you have an old pair lying around, ask whether they will serve temporarily. We may even be able to loan you a pair while you are waiting.
Get assistance with your hearing aids without delay
It’s essential to get your hearing aid checked and repaired if you begin to notice the sound quality is starting to falter.
You’ll want to try to avoid any downtime. Your mental health and your general health can be impacted by untreated hearing loss. Moreover, once your hearing aids are ignored 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 excellent 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.
