You go out of your way to ensure your hearing aids are well taken care of. When you go to bed, you always put them snuggly 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. There are a few things you can do to diagnose the problem, thankfully. Not doing any further damage is your number one priority so you won’t have to replace them.
Troubleshooting your hearing aid
Naturally, when you first got your nice 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 important to follow the manual’s recommendations.
On most models there are some other things you can check, here are a few:
- Look for noticeable damage: Do you see any visible cracks or loose components around the shell of your hearing aid? If you discover cracks, it could indicate that moisture is getting in and there could be more extensive damage.
- Keep your microphone clear: Check for anything blocking the microphone of your hearing aid. An obstructed microphone can create feedback or can cause your hearing aids to sound broken or quiet.
- Check your battery: Even if you know your hearing aids charged all night, you’ll want to double-check the battery power. It might be a good plan to check if you might need new batteries or if the old ones are correctly inserted, especially if your batteries are replaceable.
- Wax accumulation: Make sure there’s no wax on your hearing aid by giving it a visual check. Even if you undertake routine cleaning, sometimes wax can build up quickly, so it’s worth ticking this off your list.
Again, consult your owner’s manual on how you might approach each of these concerns. In some cases, you may be able to perform maintenance yourself.
When does my hearing aid need repair?
Your hearing aid will most likely need to be repaired professionally if you do routine maintenance and it still malfunctions. That may 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).
It’s definitely worth noting that “repair” doesn’t always mean “mail your hearing aids in for service and wait several weeks”. In some instances, we can fix your hearing aid in office while you wait.
Or, you’ll be able to take your hearing aids in for professional help and have them back in a matter of a few hours (this, of course, depends on the extent of the damage, all the more reason to bring your devices in for repair as soon as possible).
There are still some cases where such fast repair isn’t possible. A backup pair of hearing aids may be necessary in these cases. Maybe 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.
Don’t wait to get help with your hearing aids
If the audio quality is beginning to fail, it’s essential to get your hearing aids checked and repaired.
Any degree of downtime needs to be avoided. Your mental health and your overall health can be affected by untreated hearing loss. And it becomes all too easy to leave your hearing aids laying in a drawer somewhere while your hearing continues to deteriorate.
Keeping those hearing aids in good working order is the secret to keeping your hearing healthy. Keeping them charged, clean, and when necessary, professionally repaired is the best way to do that.