Does Your Hearing Aid Need Repairs?

With every passing year, hearing aid technology makes gigantic leaps that have transformed the way people with hearing loss interact with the world around them. There has been a significant decrease in size, so that the modern hearing aid is virtually invisible to others. Similarly, technology has enabled seamless connectivity of hearing aids with other gadgets that are commonly used in today’s time. Despite these technological outbreaks, hearing aid repairs are still necessary from time to time because of aging,  

While it is true that modern digital hearing aids are more robust and long-lasting than their analog predecessors, some common mistakes during everyday use can lead to several malfunctions. Most of the time simple and basic care can solve these problems; however, in a few cases the problem must be taken to an audiologist who will then look for a solution.

Things that can go wrong

Hearing aids, just like any other piece of technology, can develop a fault. Most of the time this is due to improper maintenance or even something as natural as a buildup of earwax or humidity. Fortunately, most of these common bugs can be detected and fixed in an equally simple manner. Here are some recurrent problems that most hearing aid users face along with easy ways to resolve them.

“I hear no sound” – A frequent, yet troublesome, issue that many users of hearing aids have complained of, no sound can be due to several reasons. Low or depleted battery is one of the most apparent reasons. You can simply replace the batteries in your hearing aids and see if that works. In some cases, the canal opening may be blocked due to which no sound can be heard. This can be fixed by cleaning the device to get rid of any obstructions in the canal opening. Finally, you might not be able to hear anything with your hearing aid because of a circuit or component failure.

“It’s not loud enough” – This is perhaps the most hackneyed of all the complaints made by hearing aid users. Loudness can easily be adjusted with the help of the volume setting. However, if that doesn’t seem to solve the problem then there could be a real underlying malfunction. Sometimes the canal opening of the device may be blocked, which can be reversed by cleaning the device. In another more worrisome case, this could be due to worsening hearing loss. Make sure you visit your audiologist and discuss this problem in detail with them.

“I experience intermittent problems” – The most apparent reason for intermittent problems is moisture trapped in the hearing aid. You can resolve this by taking out your batteries each night and leaving them out to dry. Also, use the hearing aid care manual to see the solution for built-up moisture in your model of hearing aids. This could also be due to a depleted battery, which can easily be replaced. Finally, a circuit or component failure may cause intermittent problems. This can usually be fixed by your audiologist.

If you’re experiencing issues with your devices and think hearing aid repairs are necessary, schedule an appointment with your audiologist to have them evaluated. Your audiologist will be able to tell you how minor or major the repairs are and if they need to be sent to the manufacturer.