You go out of your way to ensure your hearing aids are well cared for. When you go to sleep, you always put them comfortably on the charger and you clean them every day.
But you get pretty discouraged when your hearing aids suddenly stop working the way they used to. Fortunately, there are a few measures you can take to troubleshoot the problem. Not doing any additional damage is your top 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? You’ll want to get it out so you can utilize it for troubleshooting and, potentially, maintenance. Every model of hearing aid can be somewhat 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 buildup: Make sure there is 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.
- Check for visible damage: Do you observe any visible cracks or loose components around the shell of your hearing aid? Cracks, obviously, could suggest more extensive damage (or allow in moisture).
- 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 might 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.
- Keep your microphone clear: Look for anything blocking the microphone of your hearing aid. Your hearing aid might feedback or simply fail to work if the microphone is obstructed.
Again, consult your owner’s manual on how you should approach each of these concerns. Self-maintenance is sometimes possible.
When does my hearing aid need repair?
If your hearing aid continues to malfunction after you have performed basic upkeep and troubleshooting, it’s likely that your hearing aid will have to be professionally repaired. That may not always sound appealing, after all, you rely on your hearing aid for daily communication (not to mention dinners with your family, staying up to date with your favorite Netflix series, and so on).
You won’t automatically be without your hearing aid for extended periods of time just because it needs to be repaired. In some cases, we can fix 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, of course, depends on the degree of the damage, all the more reason to bring your devices in for repair as soon as you can).
But rapid repair won’t be possible in all cases. And in those cases, you might find yourself needing a backup set of hearing aids. So if you’ve got an old pair lying around, ask whether they will serve on a temporary basis. We may even be able to loan you a pair while you are waiting.
Get help with your hearing aids right away
It’s crucial to get your hearing aid assessed and repaired if you begin to notice the audio quality is beginning to falter.
Any amount of downtime should be prevented. Untreated hearing loss can affect your overall health, including your mental health. More to the point, once your hearing aids are forgotten in a box somewhere, it’s all too easy to pretend they don’t exist, all the while, your hearing grows worse and worse.
The optimum way to keep your hearing healthy is to keep those hearing aids working. And the best way to do that is to clean them, keep them charged, and, when needed, take your hearing aids to get some professional repair.