3 Signs Your Hearing Aid Needs Repairs

You wear your hearing aids every day and know how vital they are to helping you deal with daily events. Sometimes there may be a minor glitch or two, but nothing you haven’t been able to take care of with a good cleaning or a change of batteries. But sometimes things happen that can’t be fixed at home. When they do, it’s best to seek professional help. Here are three signs your hearing aids need repair.

1. You see physical damage

There are many ways a hearing aid may be damaged. It’s easy enough to imagine the problems that could occur if one of your hearing aids is stepped on or dropped onto a very hard surface. But sometimes a crack can go unnoticed until it gets bigger. It’s a good practice to examine your units every night when you remove and clean them. If you find a crack, broken or bent wires, a broken switch, stiff or cracked tubing, or some other visual damage, it’s time to take your hearing to your audiologist for a repair check. Some repairs may have to be made by the manufacturer but sometimes your audiologist can make in-office repairs.

2. You hear muffled noise or feedback

If you often hear whistling or feedback, it’s a sign of an ill-fitting hearing aid. Even if your units fit perfectly when you first got them, physical changes in the size and shape of your ears can change how they sit in or on your ears. For example, if you lost or gained weight, you’ve been ill or you’ve had your units for more than five years, there is a chance that your hearing aids aren’t conforming well to your ears. Your audiologist can take a look and may be able to refit your hearing aids.

There’s also a chance that persistent whistling, feedback, buzzing or crackling may signal an internal issue with the microphones or speakers. It’s best to have things checked out as soon as you can to determine if manufacturer repairs are needed.

3. Troubleshooting doesn’t work

The longer you wear hearing aids, the more comfortable you become with “fixing” little problems at home. Changing batteries, turning the units on and off and on again or performing a thorough cleaning usually solves something that seems major. When your attempts at repairs just aren’t cutting it, it’s time to see your audiologist. Because hearing aids are essentially tiny computers processing digital sound, an internal problem isn’t always obvious. It’s best to leave the serious repairs in the hands of professionals.

Most of the time, any problems you have with your hearing aids can be solved at home. However, some repairs require more precise work. If you see any of these three signs your hearing aids need repairs, it’s time to have your audiologist thoroughly check your units to determine if they might be fixed in-office or by the manufacturer. If serious repairs are needed, your audiologist may provide loaner hearing aids to use in the interim.