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 comfortably on the charger and you clean them daily.
But you get pretty distressed when your hearing aids suddenly stop working the way they used to. Fortunately, there are some measures you can take to troubleshoot the issue. Not doing any further damage is your top priority so you won’t have to replace them.
Troubleshooting your hearing aid
You saved the owner’s manual that came with your shiny new hearing aids, right? Hopefully, you did so that you can check with your owner’s manual to perform maintenance and troubleshooting. Using your owner’s manual is important because every model of hearing aid is different.
Here are some things you can check on most models:
- Check for noticeable damage: Does your hearing aid have any apparent loose components or cracks in its shell? If you discover cracks, it could suggest that moisture is getting in and there could be more significant damage.
- Wax buildup: Be certain that there’s no wax on your hearing aid by giving it a visual inspection. Wax can build up quickly even if you clean your hearing aids regularly so make sure you double check.
- 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. If your hearing aid has replaceable batteries, it might not be a bad idea to check if those batteries are correctly inserted or if a new one solves the issue.
- Keep your microphone clear: Check 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, check with your owner’s manual on how you might address each of these issues. In some cases, you may be able to perform maintenance yourself.
How can I tell when my hearing aid requires repair?
Your hearing aid will probably need to be repaired professionally if you do routine maintenance and it still malfunctions. That might not always sound appealing, after all, you rely on your hearing aid for day-to-day 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 lengthy periods of time just because it needs to be repaired. In some instances, we can fix your hearing aid in office while you wait.
Or, depending on the extent of the damage, you could have your hearing aids back in a few hours.
But rapid repair will not be possible in every case. And in those cases, you may find yourself in need of a backup set of hearing aids. Maybe you have an old pair that will do temporarily in a pinch. Or maybe we have a loaner pair you can borrow.
Get assistance with your hearing aids right away
If the sound quality is beginning to falter, it’s essential to get your hearing aids assessed and repaired.
Any degree of downtime needs to be prevented. Your mental health and your general health can be affected by neglected hearing loss. 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.
Keeping those hearing aids in excellent working order is the secret to keeping your hearing healthy. And the ideal way to do that is to clean them, keep them charged, and, when necessary, take your hearing aids to get some professional help.