People who use hearing aids are often very good at troubleshooting at home. But, if changing the batteries and thoroughly cleaning the hearing aids doesn’t fix the problem, you may need professional help.
You see physical damage
Sometimes this one is obvious — if you accidentally step on your hearing aid, or run it over with your car, the damage can be obvious. Other times, the physical damage is smaller and harder to see. You might notice wires poking out, a crack in the hearing aid casing, or a missing microphone cover. It’s important to address physical damage early, even if the hearing aid still seems to be functioning properly.
If you see signs of physical damage, contact your audiologist for a hearing aid repair. Depending on the extent of the damage, they may be able to fix it in the office. However, if the damage is severe, the hearing aid may need to be sent in to the manufacturer to be repaired. If the hearing aid is still under warranty, the manufacturer may not charge you for the repair. If it’s out of warranty, expect a manufacturer repair to cost several hundred dollars.
You are experiencing feedback or poor sound quality
If you’ve cleaned your hearing aids thoroughly and changed the wax filters, but are still experiencing feedback or poor sound quality, there may be something more going on with your hearing aids. Sometimes earwax or moisture can get deep inside the hearing aids where you are unable to access it.
Again, the first step is to contact your audiologist for a hearing aid repair. They will have special tools and knowledge that may be able to fix the problem in the office. In some cases, there’s nothing wrong with the hearing aid itself, it may just need to be adjusted. Over time, the shape and size of your ear canals can change slightly, which can change the way the hearing aids sit inside your ears. Your audiologist will be able to assess this and may be able to re-fit your hearing aids if appropriate.
If the audiologist isn’t able to resolve this in the office, the next step would be to send in the hearing aids to the manufacturer for a repair. Persistent feedback or whistling can also be caused by issues with the internal speakers or microphones.
Normal troubleshooting doesn’t work
Did you read our older blog post about hearing aid care and maintenance? If you did, there’s a good chance that you’ve been taking good care of your hearing aids and have already tried troubleshooting at home. If you’re still having trouble, it’s time to give us a call and schedule an appointment.