If you use hearing aids but you’re still having trouble hearing, your hearing aids may require professional maintenance.
You take good care of your hearing aids. You’re really cautious with your hearing aids. Cleaning them daily, you make sure they are snug on their charger when you go to sleep.
But you can’t understand why your hearing aids aren’t working efficiently and it’s very annoying. The good news is, troubleshooting the problem is pretty easy. Just remember: your number one task is to avoid damaging your hearing aid further (or else replacing them could be required).
Troubleshooting Your Hearing Aid
Every design of hearing aid is different so use your owner manual for troubleshooting and maintenance. On most models, these things can be checked:
- Check for visible damage: Check to see if there are any noticeable cracks or loose components around the shell of your hearing aid. Cracks, clearly, could reveal more significant damage (or allow).
- Keep your microphone clear:On occasion, the microphone can be obstructed. A blocked microphone can cause feedback or can cause your hearing aids to sound broken or silent.
- Wax buildup: Do a visual examination of your hearing aid to make sure that there is no wax buildup interfering with normal functionality. Even if you perform routine cleaning, occasionally wax can accumulate rapidly, so it’s worth checking 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 need to be replaced eventually and sometimes you might not have them fully inserted.
Each of these concerns will have a unique strategy so check your owner’s manual. Self maintenance will be a possibility in certain cases. (Your owner’s manual is the best place to start.)
When Does my Hearing Aid Require Servicing?
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. That may not always seem appealing, after all, you depend on your hearing aid for daily communication (along with dinners with your family, keeping up to date with your favorite Netflix series, etc).
But it’s beneficial to understand that repair doesn’t always imply sending your hearing aid away. There are some circumstances 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, of course, depends on the severity of the damage, which is all the more reason to bring your devices in for repair as soon as possible).
There are still some circumstances where same day repair isn’t feasible. A backup pair may be necessary in those situations. An old pair may be able to do a decent job as a backup so bring them in with you if you have a pair. We might even have a pair we can let you use while you are waiting.
Don’t Put Off Getting Help With Your Hearing Aids
It’s necessary to have your hearing aids serviced as soon as you detect any falter or fading of the sound quality.
That’s because you hope to avoid any downtime. Untreated hearing loss can affect your overall health, including your mental health. Moreover, once your hearing aids are left in a box somewhere, it’s way too easy to pretend they don’t exist, even as, your hearing grows worse and worse.
The best way to keep your hearing healthy is to keep those hearing aids functioning. Keeping them charged and clean and if necessary, bringing them in for maintenance is the best way to do that.