If you have hearing aids but you’re still having difficulty hearing, your hearing aids may need professional maintenance.
You take care of your hearing aids. You baby them. You charge them nightly and clean them every day.
But you can’t figure out why your hearing aids aren’t functioning efficiently and it’s very frustrating. Luckily, troubleshooting the problem is pretty straight forward. Keep in mind: avoiding damage is your first job (or you may have to get new ones).
Your Hearing Aid Might Need Troubleshooting
Make sure you consult with your owner’s manual when performing maintenance and troubleshooting because every model of hearing aid can be somewhat different. Here are some things you can check on most models:
- Check for visible damage: Check to see if there are any noticeable loose components or cracks around the shell of your hearing aid. Cracks, obviously, could indicate more substantial damage (or allow).
- Wax accumulation: Do a visual inspection of your hearing aid to make sure that there is no wax accumulation interfering with standard operation. Even if you perform regular cleaning, occasionally wax can build up quickly, so it’s worth ticking this off your list.
- Check your battery: Even if you’re sure your hearing aids spent the night on the charger, you’ll want to double-check the battery level. Even rechargeable batteries have to be replaced eventually and sometimes you may not have them inserted fully.
- Keep your microphone clear: Check for anything obstructing the microphone of your hearing aid. A blocked microphone can create feedback or can cause your hearing aids to sound broken or silent.
Each of these concerns will have its own solution so consult your owner’s manual. Self maintenance will be a possibility in some cases. (Your owner’s manual is the best place to start.)
Does my Hearing Aid require servicing – How Can I Tell?
Your hearing aid will most likely need professional servicing if you keep having issues with it after doing these basic maintenance tasks. Because you rely on your hearing aids for all of your everyday conversations and social activities, this most likely doesn’t sound very attractive.
But it’s essential to recognize that repair doesn’t always imply sending your hearing aid out for repair. There are some circumstances where it can be fixed in shop while you wait.
So in those cases, you will be able to get your hearing aid back in the same day (this is the reason why it’s a smart idea to bring your hearing aid in so we can determine the damage).
Not all scenarios can be fixed in house though. A backup pair might be necessary in those situations. So if you’ve got an old pair collecting dust, ask us whether they will serve temporarily. We might even have some we can let you use while you wait.
Don’t Wait to Get Help For Your Hearing Aids
If the hearing aids are starting to fade, the sound quality is starting to falter, it’s important to get it repaired.
That’s because you really want to avoid any downtime. Your overall health and your mental health are impacted by untreated hearing loss. Moreover, once your hearing aids are ignored in a box somewhere, it’s way too easy to pretend they don’t exist, all the while, 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 service is the easiest way to do that.