Difficulty hearing? Here’s how to know if your hearing aids require repair.
You take care of your hearing aids. You’re really cautious with your hearing aids. Cleaning them every day, you make certain they are snug on their charger when you go to bed.
But you can’t understand why your hearing aids aren’t working efficiently and it’s very annoying. Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to resolve the issue. Keep in mind: your number one job is to avoid damaging your hearing aid further (or you may need to get new ones).
Troubleshooting Your Hearing Aid
Every model of hearing aid is different so make use of your owner manual for troubleshooting and maintenance. On most models, these things can be checked:
- Wax accumulation: Perform a visual examination of your hearing aid to make sure that there is no wax accumulation interfering with standard operation. Wax accumulates quickly so even if you have a routine cleaning schedule you still need to check for this.
- Look for visible damage: Cracks or loose components may develop around the shell of your hearing aids so don’t forget to inspect for that. Cracks, clearly, could indicate more substantial damage (or allow).
- Examine your battery: Even if you’re sure your hearing aids spent the night on the charger, you’ll want to double-check the battery power. Even rechargeable batteries need to be replaced sooner or later and sometimes you may not have them fully inserted.
- Keep your microphone clear:Sometimes, the microphone can be obstructed. A blocked microphone can create feedback or can cause your hearing aids to sound broken or silent.
Again, consult your owner’s manual on how you might approach each of these issues. Self maintenance will be a possibility in some cases. (Your owner’s manual is the best place to start.)
When Does my Hearing Aid Need Servicing?
Your hearing aid will probably need professional repair if you keep having problems with it after carrying out these basic maintenance duties. That might not always seem appealing, let’s be honest, you depend on your hearing aid for everyday communication (not to mention dinners with your family, staying current with your favorite Netflix series, and so on).
However, it’s worth noting that “repair” doesn’t always translate into “mail your hearing aids in” for service and wait a few weeks. Sometimes, we can fix 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 scope of the damage, that’s all the more reason to bring your devices in for repair as soon as you can).
Not all scenarios can be addressed in house though. A backup pair might be required in those cases. So if you’ve got an old pair collecting dust, ask us whether they will serve on a temporary basis. There might even be a loaner pair at our office that you can use until you get yours back.
Don’t Put Off Getting Help For Your Hearing Aids
It’s necessary to have your hearing aids serviced as soon as you detect any falter or fading of the audio quality.
That’s because you want to eliminate any downtime. Neglected hearing loss can affect your total health, and that includes your mental health. An even more serious concern is that your hearing will diminish as your hearing aids sit forgotten in a drawer.
The best way to get the maximum help from your hearing aids is to keep them working at their highest quality. And the best way to do that is to clean them, charge them, and, when needed, take your hearing aids to get some professional assistance.
