Hearing aids have been proven to benefit your health in surprising ways including enhancing cognitive abilities, reducing depression, and decreasing your chance of falling. Which is why when your hearing aids seem like they fail to function properly, it’s so infuriating. When you start noticing buzzing feedback, or when your hearing aids suddenly go silent, quick solutions can be the difference between a pleasant family dinner or a difficult one.
Luckily, there are some basic troubleshooting steps you can take that may alleviate or manage some typical hearing aid problems. The sooner you figure out 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 challenges with hearing aids. Some hearing aids come with rechargeable batteries. Other devices are manufactured to have their batteries changed. If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, it probably means the batteries are the reason for your hearing aid problems.
- Dull sound quality: Voices sound dull like they are far away or underwater.
- 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 struggling to hear what’s happening around you.
Here’s what you do about it:
- Exchange the batteries if your hearing aid is designed to allow that. In certain situations, rechargeable batteries are sealed into the device, and if that’s the case, you might have to bring the hearing aid to a professional.
- Make sure the batteries are completely charged. Allow your rechargeable batteries to charge overnight or for at least a few hours.
- Having the right batteries is essential so make sure you double check that. Putting the wrong kind of battery into your hearing aid can result in malfunctions. (Sometimes, the wrong type of battery can be purchased in the right size, so double-checking is crucial.)
Every Surface Needs to be Cleaned
Hearing aids, naturally, spend a lot of time in your ears. And there’s a lot going on in there (your ears are like party rooms, only more hygienic). So in the process of helping you hear, it’s no surprise that your hearing aid can get somewhat dirty. In spite of the fact that hearing aids are made to cope with some earwax, it’s a practical idea to have them cleaned once in a while. Here are some of the issues that can come from too much buildup:
- Feedback: The feedback canceling feature on your hearing aid can be disrupted by earwax buildup causing a whistling sound.
- Discomfort: Earwax can buildup to the point where your hearing aid fits a little tight. Sometimes, the plastic in the molds will harden and need to be replaced.
- Muffled sound: If your hearing aid sounds like it’s lost behind something, it might just be. There might be earwax or other buildup getting in the way.
Here’s what you do about it:
- The tip of your hearing aid can become coated and plugged up by earwax and debris so check for that. The manufacturer will often provide a cleaning tool which can be employed along with the manufacturer’s cleaning instruction.
- Taking your hearing aid to a professional for regular upkeep is an important procedure.
- Carefully clean your hearing aids, as per the manufacturer’s suggestions.
- Maintain the filter by examining it and, if needed, replacing it.
You May Simply Need Some Time
The hearing aid itself isn’t always the problem. When your brain isn’t used to hearing the outside world, it can take a little time to get used to your new hearing aids. As your mind adapts, you may notice that some sounds are unpleasantly loud (the hum of the refrigerator, for example). And certain consonants frequently sound louder than the rest of the speech.
As your brain works to catch up, before long, you’ll adapt.
But it’s important to get help with any issues before too much time goes by. Your hearing aids should make your life more enjoyable, so if things aren’t working the way they ought to be, or your hearing aids are uncomfortable, contact us, we can help.