Signs Your Hearing Aid Need Repairs

Because your hearing aids need to be worn daily, there is a shelf life for technology that faces excessive wear and tear. If you find your hearing aids acting up or glitching, it could be as simple of a fix as a new battery. However, certain repairs might go beyond a simple home fix. If you experience any of these six issues below, it is best to consult your audiologist to fix these repairs.

1. Your hearing aid stops working

You might be concerned when troubleshooting like changed batteries or turning the units off and back on doesn’t immediately fix this issue. If you haven’t already, try cleaning the fine tubing that connects the ear mold to the receiver of any wax or blockages. Replacing the tubes might fix the problem entirely, but if it doesn’t, have no fear.

A dead hearing aid isn’t terminal. Bring your hearing aid to your audiologist when your troubleshooting methods aren’t cutting it anymore. Remember to store your hearing aids when not in use correctly, and to regularly clean and maintain your hearing aids. Your hearing aids can damaged by moisture in your ear, the surrounding environment and corrosive body acid.

2. Your hearing gets worse

Even while wearing hearing aids, there is a chance that you could continue to have hearing loss. If this occurs, there’s no amount of troubleshooting that could fix this issue at home. It could be time to bring your hearing aids into your audiologist to reprogram the hearing aid. The hearing aid might need to be altered to adjust with the loss of certain frequencies.

An audiologist can help reassess your needs to determine whether a new hearing aid model or upgrade is necessary. Schedule an appointment with your audiologist immediately if your hearing gets worse to fix the essential repairs.

3. Waxing and waning sound

An intermittent problem like waxing and waning sounds can be an indication of a battery replacement, so this is the best way to troubleshoot the issue. If the issue persists after the battery has been replaced, it could be time to bring your hearing aids in for a repair. A thorough cleaning of the devices by your audiologist might be necessary to fix the issue, but the units might need to be replaced entirely.

This could lead to further discomfort, a disruption in your daily life or further hearing loss, so it is always best to consult your audiologist quickly.

4. Emitting a whistling sound

Misplaced noises can be a nuisance when wearing a hearing aid. If there is a persistent whistling or feedback noise emitting from your hearing aid, this can be due to an incorrectly placed earpiece, wax in your ears or a fault with the hearing device. This could be a simple fix related to hearing aid placement, cleaning your ears thoroughly or cleaning the device.

If the whistling noise continues after the cleaning’s, it is in your best interest to reach out to your audiologist. Either your audiologist can fix it in-office or send it back to manufacturing to be repaired or replaced.

5. Fluctuating volumes

It’s one thing if you are unable to hear, but it is another if your hearing aid is fluctuating between volumes. Usually, this issue manifests in lowered volume, even if you have set the dial to max hearing. First things first: check the tubing. Decreased volumes could be related to a blockage issue from earwax or condensation.

Replace the tubing and thoroughly clean your hearing aids. If this troubleshooting doesn’t fix the issue, or you don’t feel comfortable pulling your hearing aid apart, bring your hearing aids into your audiologist for further repairs.

6. Physical defects

Improper storage, dropping your hearing aids or banging them against something can cause apparent physical damage to your hearing aids. This includes signs of wear and tear like scratches, bent parts, cracks or worse impairments like exposed wiring. Tubes can be easily replaced, and scratches could be nothing more than superficial imperfections.

However, some physical defects can be more complicated than a simple replacement. Bring your hearing aids to your audiologist immediately if these physical damages are causing hearing impairment or discomfort. If your audiologist can’t repair your hearing aid, they can send it to the manufacturer for help.

Should you experience any of these damaging signs of your hearing aid, bring it into your audiologist. An audiologist can thoroughly check the mechanism to determine whether they can be fixed in-office or via the manufacturer. If your hearing aids need a thorough repair instead of a hard reset or new batteries, your audiologist will provide you with a loaned pair until they are fixed.

When you find your hearing aids acting up beyond your repair, call Audiology Associates at (707)-827-1630 to learn more about hearing aid repairs.