Trouble hearing? Here’s how you can know if your hearing aids require maintenance.
You take care of your hearing aids. You’re very cautious with your hearing aids. You charge them every night and clean them daily.
That’s why it’s so frustrating that, suddenly and distressingly, your hearing aids are no longer working properly. The good news is, troubleshooting the problem is pretty simple. Just remember: your number one task is to avoid damaging your hearing aid further (or else replacing them could be required).
Troubleshooting Your Hearing Aid
Make sure you consult with your owner’s manual when doing maintenance and troubleshooting as every model of hearing aid can be a bit different. On most models, these things can be checked:
- Look for noticeable damage: Loose components or cracks may occur around the shell of your hearing aids so don’t forget to inspect for that. Cracks, clearly, could indicate more substantial damage (or allow).
- Check your battery: Even if you’re sure your hearing aids charged all night, you’ll want to double-check the battery power. If your hearing aid has replaceable batteries, it might not be a bad idea to check if those batteries are inserted correctly or if a new one fixes the issue.
- Keep your microphone clear:On occasion, the microphone can be obstructed. Your hearing aid can sound broken or silent or have feedback if the microphone is blocked.
- Wax accumulation: Inspect for wax buildup which could be impeding the standard functionality of your hearing aids. Wax accumulates rapidly so even if you have a routine cleaning schedule you still need to check for this.
Each of these concerns will have a unique strategy so check your owner’s manual. In certain cases, you may be able to perform maintenance on your own. (Your owner’s manual is the best place to begin.)
When Does my Hearing Aid Require Repair?
If your hearing aid keeps malfunctioning after you have performed basic maintenance and troubleshooting, it’s probable that your hearing aid will need to be professionally repaired. That might not always sound appealing, let’s be honest, you rely on your hearing aid for daily communication (not to mention dinners with your family, keeping up to date with your favorite Netflix series, etc).
But it’s beneficial to understand that repair doesn’t always mean sending your hearing aid out for repair. Sometimes, we can repair it while you wait.
So in those situations, you will be able to get your hearing aid back in the same day (this is the reason why it’s a smart idea to bring your hearing aid in so we can assess the damage).
There are still some cases where such rapid repair isn’t feasible. A backup pair may be necessary in those situations. An old pair may be able to do a decent job as a backup so bring them in with you if you have a pair. We might even have some we can loan you while you wait.
Don’t Put Off Getting Help For Your Hearing Aids
If your hearing aids are starting to fade, the audio quality is starting to falter, it’s important to have it repaired.
If you do this you will be more likely to eliminate any downtime. Neglected hearing loss can impact your total health, and that includes your mental health. More to the point, once your hearing aids are left in a box somewhere, it’s way too easy to pretend they don’t exist, all the while, your hearing grows worse and worse.
Your best chance of getting the maximum help from your hearing aids is to keep them working at their highest quality. And the easiest way to do that is to keep them clean, charge them, and, when necessary, take your hearing aids to get some professional assistance.
