Hearing aids have been shown to benefit your health in unsuspected ways including enhancing cognitive abilities, reducing depression, and decreasing your chance of falling. Which is why when these devices seem like they malfunction, it’s so infuriating. When you start noticing buzzing feedback, or when your hearing aids abruptly go silent, expedient solutions can make the difference between a lovely family dinner or a difficult one.
Fortunately, some of the most basic hearing aid issues can be reduced with a few basic troubleshooting steps. The sooner you ascertain what’s wrong with your hearing aid, the sooner you can get back to what’s important.
Maybe The Batteries Need to be Swapped Out
A low battery is one of the most common issues with hearing aids. Some hearing aids have rechargeable batteries. Replaceable batteries are standard on other hearing aids. Here are a few of the symptoms that might give you a clue that the batteries are the culprit when your device goes on the fritz:
- Hearing aids won’t turn on: There’s a good chance that your battery is to blame if your hearing aid keeps shutting itself off or doesn’t turn on at all.
- Weak sounds: You feel like you are constantly straining to hear what’s happening around you.
- Dull sound quality: Voices sound dull like they are distant or underwater.
Some solutions:
- Make certain you have fully charged batteries. If your hearing aid is equipped with rechargeable batteries, charge them for a few hours or overnight.
- Exchange the batteries if your hearing aid is designed to allow that. In some situations, rechargeable batteries are sealed into the device, and if that’s the situation, you may need to bring the hearing aid to a specialist.
- Having the correct batteries is essential so make certain you double check that. Your hearing aid can be damaged by the wrong battery. (At times, the wrong kind of battery can be purchased in the correct size, so double-checking is important.)
Every Surface Needs to be Cleaned
Obviously, hearing aids log a lot of time inside your ears. And there’s a lot happening in there (your ears are like party rooms, only more hygienic). So it’s no surprise that your hearing aids will get a little dirty in the process of helping you hear. Most hearing aid models are manufactured to cope with some earwax accumulation, but it’s a practical idea to have a routine cleaning plan too. Here are a few of the problems that can come from too much buildup:
- Muffled sound: Earwax and other buildup can cause your hearing aid to sound like it’s buried underneath something.
- Discomfort: Earwax can accumulate to the point where the fit of your hearing aid becomes a little tight. Sometimes, the plastic in the molds will harden and need to be exchanged.
- Feedback: The feedback canceling feature on your hearing aid can be interrupted by earwax buildup creating a whistling sound.
Here’s what you do about it:
- Lightly clean your hearing aids, as per the manufacturer’s guidelines.
- Taking your hearing aid to a specialist for routine upkeep is an essential procedure.
- Double-check the tip of the hearing aid to make certain it’s not covered or blocked by earwax or debris. The manufacturer will usually supply a cleaning tool which can be used along with the manufacturer’s cleaning instruction.
- Take care of the filter by checking it and, when needed, replacing it.
Try Giving Yourself a Little Time
Sometimes, the problem isn’t an issue with the hearing aid. When your brain isn’t used to hearing the outside world, it can take a little bit of time to adjust to your new hearing aids. As your mind adapts, you may notice that certain sounds are unpleasantly loud (the hum of the refrigerator, for example). And certain consonants often sound louder than the rest of the speech.
As your brain works to catch up, before long, you’ll adapt.
But it’s worthwhile to get help with any issues before too much time passes. Your hearing aids should make your life more enjoyable, so if things aren’t working the way they should be, or your hearing aids are uncomfortable, give us a call, we can help.
