Difficulty hearing? Here’s how to know if your hearing aids need maintenance.
You take good care of your hearing aids. You baby them. Cleaning them every day, you make sure they are snug on their charger when you go to bed.
That’s why it’s so discouraging that, suddenly and distressingly, your hearing aids are no longer working properly. Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to troubleshoot the issue. Just remember: your number one job is to avoid damaging your hearing aid further (otherwise replacing them could be necessary).
Your Hearing Aid Might Need Troubleshooting
Every model of hearing aid is different so make use of your owner manual for troubleshooting and maintenance. Here are a few things you can check on most models:
- Wax buildup: Do a visual inspection of your hearing aid to ensure that there is no wax buildup preventing standard operation. Even if you do regular cleaning, occasionally wax can build up rapidly, so it’s worth checking this off your list.
- Look for visible damage: Cracks or loose components may occur around the shell of your hearing aids so remember to check for that. Cracks, clearly, could reveal more substantial damage (or allow).
- Keep your microphone clear:On occasion, the microphone can be obstructed. A blocked microphone can cause feedback or can make your hearing aid sound silent or broken.
- Check your battery: Even if you’re sure your hearing aids spent the night on the charger, you’ll want to double-check the battery level. Even rechargeable batteries have to be replaced sooner or later and sometimes you may not have them inserted fully.
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 do I Know?
If your hearing aid continues to malfunction after you have carried out basic maintenance and troubleshooting, it’s likely that your hearing aid will need to be professionally repaired. Because you depend on your hearing aids for all of your basic conversations and social activities, this most likely doesn’t sound very attractive.
However, it’s worth pointing out that “repair” doesn’t always translate into “send your hearing aid out” for service and wait a few weeks. Sometimes, we can fix it while you wait.
Meaning, in some instances, you’ll be capable of bringing your hearing aids in for professional help and have them back in a matter of minutes or hours (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 fixed in house though. And on those occasions, you may find yourself needing a backup pair of hearing aids. So if you’ve got an old pair lying around, ask us whether they will work on a temporary basis. We may even have some we can let you use while you are waiting.
Get Assistance With Your Hearing Aids As Soon as Possible
If your hearing aids are beginning to fade, the audio quality is beginning to falter, it’s essential to have it repaired.
That’s because you hope to eliminate any downtime. Your overall health and your mental health are impacted by neglected hearing loss. An even more serious worry is that your hearing will get worse as your hearing aids sit ignored in a drawer.
The best way to get the maximum help from your hearing aids is to keep them working at their highest quality. 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 help.