If you have hearing aids but you’re still having trouble hearing, your hearing aids might require professional maintenance.
You take good care of your hearing aids. You baby them. You charge them every night and clean them every day.
That’s why it’s so frustrating that, abruptly and distressingly, your hearing aids aren’t working properly. The good news is, troubleshooting the problem is pretty straight forward. Just remember: your number one task is to avoid damaging your hearing aid further (or you might have to get new ones).
Troubleshooting Your Hearing Aid
Every model of hearing aid is different so use your owner manual for troubleshooting and maintenance. Here are some things you can check on most models:
- Check your battery: Always check your battery power even if you’re sure your hearing aid charged all night. Even rechargeable batteries need to be replaced eventually and sometimes you may not have them inserted fully.
- Keep your microphone clear: Look for anything blocking the microphone of your hearing aid. A blocked microphone can cause feedback or can cause your hearing aids to sound silent or broken.
- Wax accumulation: Check for wax accumulation which could be impeding the normal operation of your hearing aids. Even if you perform routine cleaning, occasionally wax can build up quickly, so it’s worth ticking this off your list.
- Check for noticeable damage: Check if there are any noticeable loose components or cracks around the shell of your hearing aid. Cracks, clearly, could reveal more substantial damage (or allow).
Again, consult your owner’s manual on how you might approach each of these issues. Self maintenance will be possible in certain cases. (But, once again, read the instructions.)
Does my Hearing Aid require servicing – How Can I Tell?
If your hearing aid keeps malfunctioning after you have done basic maintenance and troubleshooting, it’s likely that your hearing aid will require professional repair. That might not always seem appealing, after all, you depend on your hearing aid for daily communication (not to mention dinners with your family, staying current with your favorite Netflix shows, etc).
However, it’s worth pointing out that “repair” doesn’t always translate into “mail your hearing aids in” for service and wait a few weeks. There are some circumstances where it can be fixed in shop while you wait.
So in those situations, you will be able to get your hearing aid back in the same day (this is the reason why it’s a smart idea to bring your hearing aid in so we can determine the damage).
Not all scenarios can be addressed in house though. A backup pair might be necessary in those situations. An old pair might be able to do a decent job as a backup so bring them in with you if you have a pair. We may even have some we can let you use while you wait.
Don’t Wait to Get Help With Your Hearing Aids
It’s crucial to get your hearing aids serviced as soon as you experience any falter or fading of the audio quality.
That’s because you want to avoid any downtime. Your general health and your mental health are impacted by neglected hearing loss. An even more serious worry is that your hearing will diminish as your hearing aids sit forgotten in a drawer.
The best way to keep your hearing healthy is to keep your hearing aids working. And the easiest way to do that is to clean them, keep them charged, and, when needed, take your hearing aids to get some professional assistance.
