You go above and beyond to ensure your hearing aids are well taken care of. Cleaning them every day, you make sure they are safe and comfortable on their charger when you go to sleep.
Suddenly and discouragingly, your hearing aids are no longer working the way they once did. Thankfully, there are some measures you can take to troubleshoot the problem. Not doing any more damage is your number one priority so you won’t have to replace them.
Troubleshooting your hearing aid
Naturally, when you first got your sweet new hearing aids, you made a point of storing the owner’s manual in a safe place. You’ll want to get it out so you can use it for troubleshooting and, possibly, maintenance. Each model of hearing aid can be somewhat different so it’s essential to follow the manual’s guidelines.
On most models there are some other things you can check, here are a few:
- Wax accumulation: Perform a visual inspection of your hearing aid to ensure that there is no wax buildup interfering with standard operation. Even if you perform regular cleaning, sometimes wax can accumulate quickly, so it’s worth checking this off your list.
- Check your battery: You’ll still want to check the battery power even if you had your hearing aids charging at night. It may be a good plan to check if you might need new batteries or if the old ones are properly inserted, especially if your batteries are replaceable.
- Check for noticeable damage: Does your hearing aid have any apparent loose components or cracks around its shell? If you find cracks, it could mean that moisture is getting in and there could be more extensive damage.
- Keep your microphone clear: Check your hearing aid to find out if anything is blocking the microphone. An obstructed microphone can create feedback or can cause your hearing aids to sound broken or quiet.
Once again you can find out how to address each of these concerns by consulting your owner’s manual. Self-maintenance is sometimes possible.
How can I tell when my hearing aid needs repair?
Your hearing aid will probably need to be professionally repaired if you do routine upkeep and it still malfunctions. That may not always sound appealing, after all, you depend on your hearing aid for day-to-day communication (along with dinners with your family, staying up to date with your favorite Netflix series, and so on).
You won’t necessarily be without your hearing aid for lengthy periods of time just because it needs to be repaired. In some instances, we can repair your hearing aid in office while you wait.
Or, depending on the level of the damage, you could have your hearing aids back in a few hours.
There are still some cases where such fast repair isn’t possible. A backup set of hearing aids might be needed in these cases. So if you’ve got an old pair lying around, ask whether they will serve temporarily. We might even be able to let you borrow a pair while you are waiting.
Get help with your hearing aids without delay
It’s crucial to have your hearing aid checked and repaired if you start to notice the audio quality is beginning to fail.
You’ll want to prevent any downtime. Neglected hearing loss can affect your overall health, including your mental health. And it becomes all too easy to leave your hearing aids sitting in a drawer somewhere while your hearing continues to deteriorate.
Keeping those hearing aids in good working order is the key to keeping your hearing healthy. And the best way to do that is to keep them clean, keep them charged, and, when necessary, take your hearing aids to get some professional repair.
