Lowering your chance of depression, minimizing your risk of falling, and enhancing cognitive ability are some of the unsuspected health advantages that have been shown to come from using hearing aids. Which is why it can be so frustrating when these devices fail to function properly. The difference between a delightful dinner with family or a horrible time can be made by discovering a fast solution when your hearing aid begins screeching with feedback or quits altogether.
Luckily, there are some practical troubleshooting steps you can take which may relieve or manage some common hearing aid issues. The faster you ascertain what’s wrong with your hearing aid, the sooner you can go back to what’s important.
Try Swapping Out The Batteries
One of the most common issues with hearing aids is a low battery. Rechargeable batteries come standard with many hearing aid models. Other devices are designed to have their batteries swapped out. If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, it probably means the batteries are to blame for your hearing aid issues.
- Hearing aids won’t turn on: There’s a good chance that your battery is to blame if your hearing aid keeps shutting itself off or won’t turn on at all.
- Weak sounds: You’re battling to hear what’s happening around you and that seems to be occurring more frequently.
- Dull sound quality: It seems like somebody is talking to you underwater or from the other side of the room.
Some solutions:
- Check twice to make certain the right batteries are installed. Your hearing aid can be damaged by the incorrect battery. (Sometimes, the wrong kind of battery can be purchased in the right size, so double-checking is crucial.)
- Make sure the batteries are fully charged. Let your rechargeable batteries charge overnight or for at least a few hours.
- If you have replaceable batteries, replace them regularly. In some cases, rechargeable batteries are sealed inside of the device, and if that’s the case, you might need to take the hearing aid to a professional.
Try Cleaning Every Surface
Needless to say, hearing aids log a lot of time inside your ears. And there’s a lot going on in there (your ears are like party rooms, only more hygienic). So while helping you hear, it’s not surprising that your hearing aid can get a little dirty. Most hearing aid models are manufactured to cope with some earwax buildup, but it’s a practical idea to have a routine cleaning schedule too. Here are a few of the problems that can come from too much buildup:
- Feedback: The feedback canceling feature on your hearing aid can be disrupted by earwax buildup creating a whistling sound.
- Muffled sound: If your hearing aid sounds like it’s lost behind something, maybe it is. There may be earwax or other buildup getting in the way.
- Discomfort: If they feel as if they’re suddenly too large for your ears, it could be because earwax accumulation has begun interfering with the fit. The plastic will occasionally need to be replaced if it begins to harden.
Some solutions:
- Double-check the tip of the hearing aid to ensure it is not covered or clogged by debris or earwax. The manufacturer will normally supply a cleaning tool which can be used along with the manufacturer’s cleaning instruction.
- Make sure you are sending your hearing aids to a professional for routine cleaning and maintenance.
- Clean your hearing aid lightly in the way that the manufacturer has instructed.
- Maintain the filter by examining it and, if needed, replacing it.
Try Giving Yourself a Little Time
Sometimes, the problem isn’t a problem with the hearing aid. When you first put in your hearing aids, your brain has to get accustomed to hearing the world again. As your mind adjust, you might notice that specific sounds are unpleasantly loud (the hum of the refrigerator, for example). And some consonants often sound louder than the rest of the speech.
These are all clues that your brain is racing to catch up to sound again and, before long, you’ll adapt.
However, it’s important not to let too much time pass, with any issue, before getting help. Your hearing aids should make your life more enjoyable, so if things aren’t working the way they should be, or your hearing aids are uncomfortable, contact us, we can help.