Hearing aids have been shown to benefit your health in unexpected ways including improving 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. The difference between a delightful dinner with family or a terrible time can be made by discovering a fast remedy when your hearing aid begins screeching with feedback or goes silent entirely.
Fortunately, some of the most fundamental hearing aid problems can be reduced with a few practical troubleshooting steps. figuring out what’s happening with your hearing aid as fast as possible will get you back to what’s important all the sooner.
Maybe The Batteries Need to be Changed
A low battery is one of the most common issues with hearing aids. Some hearing aids have rechargeable batteries. Other devices are designed to have their batteries swapped out. Here are a few of the symptoms that might give you a clue that the batteries are the bad guy when your device starts to malfunction:
- Weak sounds: You feel like you are always struggling to hear what’s happening around you.
- Hearing aids won’t turn on: There’s a good possibility that your battery is the issue if your hearing aid keeps shutting itself off or doesn’t turn on at all.
- Dull sound quality: It seems like somebody is talking to you underwater or from the other side of the room.
Some solutions:
- If you have replaceable batteries, replace them regularly. You may have to take your hearing aid in to a specialist if the battery is sealed inside.
- Make certain you have fully charged batteries. Allow your rechargeable batteries to charge overnight or at least for several hours.
- Having the right batteries is crucial so make sure you double check that. Putting the wrong kind of battery into your hearing aid can lead to malfunctions. (At times, the wrong kind of battery can be purchased in the correct size, so double-checking is crucial.)
Try to Clean Every Surface
Needless to say, 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 while helping you hear, it’s not surprising that your hearing aid can get a bit dirty. In spite of the fact that hearing aids are made to cope with some earwax, it’s a practical idea to get them cleaned once in a while. Here are a few of the problems that can come from too much buildup:
- Muffled sound: If your hearing aid sounds like it’s lost behind something, maybe it is. There might be earwax or other buildup getting in the way.
- Discomfort: If they feel as if they’re suddenly too large for your ears, it may be because earwax buildup has begun interfering with the fit. Occasionally, the plastic in the molds will harden and need to be replaced.
- Feedback: It’s possible that earwax buildup can obstruct the feedback canceling features of your hearing aid, causing you to hear a whistling noise.
Here’s what you do about it:
- Make sure you are bringing your hearing aids to a specialist for routine maintenance and cleaning.
- Clean your hearing aid lightly in the way that the manufacturer has recommended.
- The tip of your hearing aid can become coated and plugged up by earwax and debris so look for that. The manufacturer will typically provide a cleaning tool which can be used along with the manufacturer’s cleaning instruction.
- Examine the earwax filter to make sure it is clean; replace it if necessary.
You May Simply Need 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 a little bit of time to get used to your new hearing aids. Particular sounds (the buzzing of an air conditioner, for instance) may initially seem unpleasantly loud. And certain consonants often sound louder than the rest of the speech.
These are all signs that your brain is racing to catch up to sound again and, before long, you’ll adapt.
Even so, it’s worthwhile not to let too much time pass, with any issue, before seeking help. 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, give us a call, we can help.