You go out of your way to ensure your hearing aids are well cared for. Cleaning them daily, you make sure they are safe and comfortable on their charger when you go to sleep.
But you get pretty distressed when your hearing aids suddenly stop working the way they did once. Fortunately, there are a few measures you can take to diagnose the problem. Just remember: your main job is to refrain from damaging your hearing aid further (or you might need to replace them).
Hearing aid troubleshooting
You saved the owner’s manual that came with your beautiful new hearing aids, right? You’ll want to get it out so you can use it for troubleshooting and, potentially, maintenance. Each model of hearing aid can be rather 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:
- Wax buildup: Do a visual inspection of your hearing aid to ensure 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 it a point to double check.
- Keep your microphone clear: Check for anything blocking the microphone of your hearing aid. Your hearing aid may feedback or merely fail to work if the microphone is obstructed.
- Check for visible damage: Does your hearing aid have any apparent loose components or cracks in its shell? Cracks, obviously, could indicate more extensive damage (or allow in moisture).
- Check your battery: You’ll still want to assess the battery power even if you had your hearing aids charging at night. It may be a good plan to check if you may need new batteries or if the old ones are correctly inserted, especially if your batteries are replaceable.
Again, check with your owner’s manual on how you should address each of these issues. In some cases, you may be able to perform maintenance yourself.
When does my hearing aid need repair?
Your hearing aid will probably have to be professionally repaired if you do routine upkeep and it still malfunctions. That might not always sound desirable, after all, 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, and so on).
You won’t automatically be without your hearing aid for lengthy periods of time just because it needs to be serviced. In some cases, we can fix your hearing aid in office while you wait.
Or, you’ll be able to bring your hearing aids in for professional help and get them back in a matter of a few hours (this, of course, depends on the degree of the damage, all the more reason to bring your devices in for repair as soon as possible).
But quick repair will not be possible in all cases. And in those situations, you might find yourself in need of a backup set of hearing aids. So if you’ve got an old pair lying around, ask whether they will serve temporarily. Or maybe we have a loaner pair you can use.
Get help with your hearing aids without delay
If the sound quality is starting to fail, it’s essential to get your hearing aids checked and repaired.
Any degree of downtime should be avoided. Your mental health and your general health can be impacted by neglected hearing loss. Moreover, once your hearing aids are ignored 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 excellent working order is the key to keeping your hearing healthy. And the ideal way to do that is to clean them, keep them charged, and, when needed, take your hearing aids to get some professional repair.