Hearing aids have been shown to improve your health in unsuspected ways including increasing cognitive abilities, minimizing depression, and decreasing your chance of falling. Which is why when these devices seem like they fail to function properly, it’s so frustrating. When you begin detecting screeching feedback, or when your hearing aids suddenly go silent, expedient solutions can be the difference between a lovely family dinner or a difficult one.
Fortunately, some of the most fundamental hearing aid problems can be alleviated with a few basic troubleshooting measures. Finding out what’s happening with your hearing aid as quickly as you will get you back to what’s important all the sooner.
Maybe The Batteries Need to be Swapped Out
A low battery is one of the most prevalent challenges with hearing aids. Some hearing aids come with rechargeable batteries. Other devices are made to have their batteries exchanged. Here are a few of the symptoms that might lead you to believe the batteries are the culprit when your device goes on the fritz:
- Dull sound quality: Voices sound dull like they are distant or underwater.
- Weak sounds: You feel like you are constantly straining to hear what’s happening around you.
- Hearing aids won’t turn on: If your hearing aid won’t turn on, or won’t stay on, there’s a good chance the battery is the principal issue.
Some solutions:
- Having the correct batteries is crucial so make sure you double check that. Putting the wrong kind of battery into your hearing aid can lead to malfunctions. (In some cases, the wrong kind of battery can be purchased in the right size, so double-checking is important.)
- Make certain you have fully charged batteries. If your hearing aid has rechargeable batteries, charge them for a few hours or overnight.
- Exchange the batteries if your hearing aid is manufactured to allow that. In some cases, rechargeable batteries are sealed into the device, and if that’s the case, you may have to bring the hearing aid to a specialist.
Every Surface Should be Cleaned
Hearing aids, naturally, spend a lot of time in your ears. And your ears have a lot taking place inside of them. So it’s not surprising that your hearing aids may get somewhat dirty while helping you hear. Despite the fact that hearing aids are designed to deal with some earwax, it’s a practical idea to have them cleaned once in a while. Here are some of the problems that can come from too much buildup:
- Feedback: It’s possible that earwax buildup can obstruct the feedback canceling functions of your hearing aid, causing you to hear a whistling sound.
- Muffled sound: Earwax and other buildup can cause your hearing aid to sound like it’s buried beneath something.
- 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.
Some solutions:
- Taking your hearing aid to a professional for regular upkeep is an essential procedure.
- Gently clean your hearing aids, as per the manufacturer’s suggestions.
- Double-check the tip of the hearing aid to make sure it is not covered or plugged by debris or earwax. The manufacturer will often 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
The hearing aid itself isn’t always the issue. When your brain isn’t used to hearing the outside world, it can take some time to get used to your new hearing aids. Specific sounds (the buzzing of an air conditioner, for example) might initially seem unpleasantly loud. You may also detect that certain consonant sounds might seem overly pronounced.
These are all clues that your brain is racing to catch up to auditory stimuli again and, in time, you’ll adapt.
But it’s important to get help with any issues before too much time goes by. If your hearing aids are not comfortable or you’re getting continuous noise issues or things don’t seem to be working just the way they should be, we can help get you back on track and make sure you’re enjoying, not enduring, your hearing aids.