Difficulty hearing? Here’s how you can know if your hearing aids need repair.
You take care of your hearing aids. You baby them. You charge them each night and clean them daily.
But you can’t understand why your hearing aids aren’t working effectively and it’s very frustrating. Luckily, troubleshooting the issue is pretty simple. Keep in mind: preventing damage is your number one task (or you may need to get new ones).
Troubleshooting Your Hearing Aid
Make sure you consult your owner’s manual when doing upkeep and troubleshooting as every model of hearing aid can be somewhat different. On most models, these things can be checked:
- Keep your microphone clear: Look for anything obstructing the microphone of your hearing aid. An obstructed microphone can create feedback or can cause your hearing aids to sound broken or silent.
- Check your battery: Even if you’re sure your hearing aids charged all night, you’ll want to double-check the battery level. Even rechargeable batteries have to be replaced sooner or later and sometimes you might not have them inserted fully.
- Wax accumulation: Do a visual inspection of your hearing aid to ensure that there is no wax accumulation preventing normal functionality. Wax accumulates quickly so even if you have a regular cleaning schedule you still need to check for this.
- Check for noticeable damage: Check to see if there are any visible cracks or loose components around the shell of your hearing aid. Cracks, clearly, could indicate more extensive damage (or allow).
Each of these problems will have its own strategy so check your owner’s manual. In certain cases, you may be able to perform maintenance on your own. (But, again, consult the instructions.)
When Does my Hearing Aid Need Repair?
Your hearing aid will probably require professional repair if you continue to have problems with it after doing these basic maintenance duties. That might not always sound appealing, let’s be honest, you rely on your hearing aid for everyday communication (not to mention dinners with your family, staying current with your favorite Netflix shows, and so on).
However, it’s worth noting that “repair” doesn’t always translate into “send your hearing aid out” for service and wait a number of weeks. There are some scenarios 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, of course, depends on the extent of the damage, which is all the more reason to bring it in for repair as soon as possible).
Not all scenarios can be addressed in house though. A backup pair could be required in those situations. 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 pair at our office that you can use until you get yours back.
Get Help With Your Hearing Aids Right Away
If the hearing aids are beginning to fade, the sound quality is starting to falter, it’s crucial to have it repaired.
If you do this you will be more likely to prevent any downtime. Your general health and your mental health are impacted by untreated hearing loss. An even more significant worry is that your hearing will get worse as your hearing aids sit ignored in a drawer.
Your best chance of getting the maximum help from your hearing aids is to keep them functioning at their highest quality. Keeping them clean and charged and if necessary, bringing them in for maintenance is the best way to do that.