If you have hearing aids but you’re still having difficulty hearing, your hearing aids might require professional maintenance.
You take good care of your hearing aids. You baby them. Cleaning them on a daily basis, you make certain they are snug on their charger when you go to sleep.
But you can’t figure out why your hearing aids aren’t working effectively and it’s really frustrating. The good news is, troubleshooting the problem is fairly easy. Keep in mind: your number one job is to avoid damaging your hearing aid further (otherwise replacing them could be necessary).
Troubleshooting Your Hearing Aid
Always consult with your owner’s manual when performing maintenance and troubleshooting as every model of hearing aid can be somewhat different. Here are some things you can check on most models:
- Keep your microphone clear: Check for anything obstructing the microphone of your hearing aid. An obstructed microphone can cause feedback or can make your hearing aid sound silent or broken.
- Check for noticeable damage: Check if there are any visible loose components or cracks around the shell of your hearing aid. Cracks, clearly, could reveal more significant damage (or allow).
- Check your battery: Even if you know your hearing aids charged all night, you’ll want to double-check the battery power. Even rechargeable batteries have to be replaced eventually and sometimes you may not have them inserted fully.
- Wax buildup: Do a visual examination of your hearing aid to ensure that there is no wax buildup preventing normal functionality. Even if you undertake routine cleaning, sometimes wax can build up quickly, so it’s worth ticking this off your list.
Again, consult your owner’s manual on how you might approach each of these problems. In some cases, you may be able to perform maintenance yourself. (But, once again, consult the instructions.)
Does my Hearing Aid require servicing – How do I Know?
If your hearing aid continues to malfunction after you have performed basic maintenance and troubleshooting, it’s likely that your hearing aid will need to be professionally repaired. Because you rely on your hearing aids for all of your basic conversations and social activities, this most likely doesn’t sound very attractive.
But it’s beneficial to understand that repair doesn’t always imply sending your hearing aid out for repair. Sometimes, we can repair it while you wait.
Meaning, in some cases, you’ll be able to bring your hearing aids in for professional maintenance and get them back in a matter of minutes or hours (this, of course, depends on the severity of the damage, that’s all the more reason to bring your devices in for repair as soon as you can).
Not all cases can be fixed in house though. A backup pair may be necessary in those situations. An old pair might be able to do an adequate job as a backup so bring them in with you if you have a pair. There might even be a loaner pair at our office that we can loan you until you get yours back.
Don’t Put Off Getting Help For Your Hearing Aids
It’s necessary to get your hearing aids serviced as soon as you experience any falter or fading of the audio quality.
That’s because you really want to eliminate any downtime. Your general health and your mental health are affected by neglected hearing loss. An even more significant concern 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 functioning. And the best way to do that is to keep them clean, keep them charged, and, when needed, take your hearing aids to get some professional assistance.