As advanced as they are, hearing aids are not completely indestructible. In fact, the technology inside of them can be quite delicate. This means that they can suffer from faults and malfunctions. Without the right care, your hearing aids may not see the kind of longevity that they’re designed to.

For that reason, we’ll look at how you can troubleshoot a hearing aid that isn’t working as well as it should be, steps to repair and prevent problems, and why you need an audiologist when all else fails.

Hearing aid troubleshooting

You may be able to make some repairs yourself, depending on what the issue with the hearings is. Here, we’re going to look at some of the most common troubleshooting methods that can pick up a wide range of the frequent issues:

If the hearing aid is too quiet or makes no sound at all, you should start by looking into the sound outlet and microphone opening for blockages. If there’s wax or dust there, you should clear it away. Then put a fully charged battery inside, turn it on, and put the hearing aid in. Turn the volume up and adjust the settings to see if the problem has been fixed. If not, change the battery. If it’s not the battery, then call your audiologist.

If the hearing aid is producing a sound but it’s distorted or sounds odd, you should replace the batteries, first, as there may be wear or corrosion affecting them. Check to see if the battery contacts inside the battery compartment are dirty. These are the small metal pins, and you can wipe them clean with a dry cloth. If they look out of place, try adjusting them and see if the replacement battery works, then try switching listening profiles or memories. If that doesn’t work, call your audiologist.

If you hear a high-pitched, whistling noise known as feedback, you should try removing and putting your hearing aids back in. Adjust the volume to see if it goes away when you turn it down, and clean away any earwax you see in the device. If that works, then your audiologist can reprogram them to prevent it in future.

Turning your device on and off, replacing the batteries and turning the device on and off are always a good idea, even if the problem isn’t one of the issues named above.

Hearing aid repairs and prevention

The issues named above can also be prevented in some cases, if you take proper care of your hearing aids. Here are a few preventative repairs and maintenance tips worth keeping in mind:

  • Keep your hearing aids dry as they are especially vulnerable to moisture. Moisture can affect the circuitry inside, and it can also corrode the battery, causing it to leak acid that can further damage the hearing aid. Don’t wear your hearing aid in the bathroom, especially when the air is humid due to a shower or bath, and keep it in a dehumidifier when it’s not in use.
  • Keep your hearing aids clean, making sure that dirt, earwax, and other debris doesn’t have the chance to block the different components. Dirt also attracts moisture, which, as mentioned, can cause a lot of damage. Simply wiping the device clean with a dry cloth every day can work, but you should also ask your audiologist about hearing aid cleaning kits.
  • Watch out for earwax as it can eventually build up to the point that it blocks the different parts of your hearing aids. If you wear hearing aids, you are more likely to experience more earwax than most people. Your audiologist can arrange routine professional ear cleanings to help you keep on top of the issue.

When in doubt, call your audiologist

If the troubleshooting and preventive hearing aid repairs above aren’t working, then you might need more technical help. Thankfully, audiologists are trained not only in diagnosing and treating a range of hearing related issues, but in many common hearing aid repairs, too.

Your audiologist can make a majority of the most common fixes in one appointment. If the problem is more complicated, they can call the manufacturer for repairs and replacement. They can also offer a temporary replacement so that you don’t have to live without a hearing aid while waiting.

If you need help with your hearing aids, don’t hesitate to get in touch with one of the team members at Audiology and Hearing Aid Center. You can call us at (920) 486-6922 to learn more about how we can help and to arrange an appointment.