Difficulty hearing? Here’s how to know if your hearing aids need repair.
You take good care of your hearing aids. You’re really careful with your hearing aids. Cleaning them daily, you make sure they are snug on their charger when you go to bed.
But you can’t figure out why your hearing aids aren’t working efficiently and it’s very annoying. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to troubleshoot the issue. Keep in mind: your number one job is to avoid damaging your hearing aid further (or you might have to get new ones).
Your Hearing Aid Might Need Troubleshooting
Every design of hearing aid is different so use your owner manual for troubleshooting and maintenance. On most models, these things can be checked:
- Wax accumulation: Check for wax buildup which could be stopping the standard operation of your hearing aids. Even if you do regular cleaning, sometimes wax can build up rapidly, so it’s worth ticking this off your list.
- Keep your microphone clear: Check for anything blocking the microphone of your hearing aid. A blocked microphone can create feedback or can cause your hearing aids to sound silent or broken.
- Look for visible damage: Check to see if there are any noticeable loose components or cracks around the shell of your hearing aid. Cracks could let moisture in and might be a sign of further damage.
- Examine your battery: Even if you’re sure your hearing aids charged all night, you’ll want to double-check the battery power. Even rechargeable batteries need to be replaced eventually and sometimes you might not have them fully inserted.
Again, check your owner’s manual on how you might approach each of these issues. Self maintenance will be a possibility in certain cases. (But, once again, read the instructions.)
Does my Hearing Aid require servicing – How do I Know?
Your hearing aid will probably require professional servicing if you continue to have problems with it after doing these basic maintenance tasks. Because you rely on your hearing aids for all of your everyday conversations and social activities, this probably doesn’t sound very appealing.
But it’s important to understand that repair doesn’t always mean sending your hearing aid out for repair. There are some situations where it can be fixed in shop while you wait.
So in those cases, you will be able to get your hearing aid back in the same day (this, of course, depends on the scope of the damage, which is all the more reason to bring your devices in for repair as soon as possible).
Not all cases can be addressed in house though. And on those occasions, you could find yourself in need of a backup pair of hearing aids. An old pair might be able to do a decent job as a backup so if you have an old pair, bring them in with you. There may even be a loaner set at our office that you can use until yours come back.
Get Help With Your Hearing Aids As Soon as Possible
If your hearing aids are starting to fade, the audio quality is starting to fail, it’s crucial to have it repaired.
If you do this you will be more likely to eliminate any downtime. Neglected hearing loss can impact your general health, including your mental health. Moreover, 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 progressively worsens.
The best way to get the maximum help from your hearing aids is to keep them working at their highest quality. Keeping them charged and clean and if necessary, taking them in for maintenance is the best way to do that.