Difficulty hearing? Here’s how you can know if your hearing aids need maintenance.
You take good care of your hearing aids. You’re extremely cautious with your hearing aids. You charge them nightly and clean them every day.
But you can’t understand why your hearing aids aren’t functioning efficiently and it’s very frustrating. Luckily, troubleshooting the issue is fairly simple. Just remember: preventing damage is your first job (otherwise replacing them could be necessary).
Your Hearing Aid Might Need Troubleshooting
Always consult with your owner’s manual when performing upkeep and troubleshooting because every model of hearing aid can be somewhat different. On most models, these things can be checked:
- Check your battery: Always check your battery power even if you are sure your hearing aid sat on the charger all night. Even rechargeable batteries have to be replaced sooner or later and sometimes you may not have them inserted fully.
- Wax accumulation: Do a visual check of your hearing aid to make sure that there is no wax accumulation interfering with standard operation. Wax accumulates rapidly so even if you have a regular cleaning schedule you still need to pay attention to this.
- Check for noticeable damage: Loose components or cracks may develop around the shell of your hearing aids so remember to check for that. Cracks could let moisture in and might be a sign of additional damage.
- Keep your microphone clear: Look for anything blocking the microphone of your hearing aid. Your hearing aid will sound broken or silent or have feedback if the microphone is blocked.
Again, check your owner’s manual on how you should approach each of these issues. Self maintenance will be possible in certain cases. (But, once again, read the instructions.)
When Does my Hearing Aid Need Servicing?
If your hearing aid continues to malfunction after you have performed basic maintenance and troubleshooting, it’s probable that your hearing aid will need to be professionally repaired. That may not always seem appealing, let’s be honest, 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 essential to understand that repair doesn’t always imply sending your hearing aid out for repair. There are some scenarios where it can be fixed in shop while you wait.
So in those cases, you will be able to get your hearing aid back before the day’s end (this is why it’s a good idea to bring your hearing aid to us so we can ascertain the damage).
There are still some cases where such rapid repair isn’t feasible. And in those cases, you could 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 you can use until you get yours back.
Don’t Wait to Get Help For Your Hearing Aids
It’s crucial to have your hearing aids repaired as soon as you notice any falter or fading of the sound quality.
That’s because you want to eliminate any downtime. Untreated hearing loss can affect your total health, including 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 keep your hearing healthy is to keep those hearing aids working. Keeping them clean and charged and if necessary, taking them in for maintenance is the best way to do that.