Difficulty hearing? Here’s how to know if your hearing aids need maintenance.
You take good care of your hearing aids. You’re extremely careful with your hearing aids. You charge them nightly and clean them every day.
But you can’t understand why your hearing aids aren’t working efficiently and it’s very frustrating. Luckily, troubleshooting the problem is fairly straight forward. Just remember: avoiding damage is your first task (otherwise replacing them may be necessary).
Your Hearing Aid Might Need Troubleshooting
Make sure you consult with your owner’s manual when performing upkeep and troubleshooting because every model of hearing aid can be a bit different. On most models, these things can be checked:
- Look for noticeable damage: Check to see if there are any visible loose components or cracks around the shell of your hearing aid. Cracks could allow moisture in and might be a sign of additional damage.
- 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 need to be replaced sooner or later and sometimes you might not have them fully inserted.
- Keep your microphone clear:On occasion, the microphone can be blocked. Your hearing aid will sound broken or silent or have feedback if the microphone is blocked.
- Wax buildup: Check for wax buildup which could be impeding the normal operation of your hearing aids. Even if you do routine cleaning, sometimes wax can accumulate rapidly, 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 certain cases, you may be capable of performing maintenance on your own. (But, once again, read the instructions.)
Does my Hearing Aid require servicing – How Can I Tell?
If your hearing aid continues to malfunction after you have done basic maintenance and troubleshooting, it’s probable 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 appealing.
But it’s essential to recognize that repair doesn’t always imply sending your hearing aid away. There are some situations where it can be fixed in shop while you wait.
So in those situations, you will be able to get your hearing aid back before the day’s end (this is the reason why it’s a good idea to bring your hearing aid in so we can assess the damage).
There are still some circumstances where same day repair isn’t feasible. And in those cases, you may find yourself needing a backup pair of hearing aids. An old pair may be able to do an adequate job as a backup so if you have an old pair, bring them in with you. There might even be a loaner set at our office that we can loan you until you get yours back.
Don’t Put Off Getting Help For Your Hearing Aids
If your hearing aids are beginning to fade, the sound quality is beginning to falter, it’s crucial to have it repaired.
That’s because you hope to avoid any downtime. Your general health and your mental health are affected by neglected hearing loss. Moreover, once your hearing aids are ignored in a box somewhere, it’s very easy to pretend they don’t exist, even as, your hearing grows worse and worse.
The best way to get the maximum help from your hearing aids is to keep them working at their highest quality. Keeping them clean and charged and if necessary, taking them in for maintenance is the easiest way to do that.