4 Common Hearing Aid Repairs

Hearing aids are genuinely life-changing devices for the millions of people that use them. A hearing aid is a passport back to the past, to perfect clarity of sound that can improve the user’s life experience exponentially. If you use hearing aids, you will be well aware of the transformative effect that they can have.

Sadly, hearing aids are – like everything else in the world – fallible. Sometimes, they break or experience issues that mean they are not functioning as they should be. If you have been experiencing problems with your hearing aids, then it’s worth learning a little about the common fixes that hearing aids tend to require. There’s a chance you may be able to carry out hearing aid repairs yourself, providing the issue is not serious.

Wax removal

Whenever you experience any problems with your hearing aids, you should immediately inspect the entire device for wax build up. Earwax is entirely natural and healthy, but it can also be inconvenient in this instance. Wax can clog your hearing aids and make the sound seem muffled.

If you do find wax deposits, remove them with a dry cloth, and then try the aid again. Hopefully, this will have resolved the issue for you.

Changing the program

When you have changed the battery, you may have accidentally knocked the settings and your hearing aid is now set on a different program to the one that is effective for you. The best way to remedy this is to turn the hearing aid off, then turn it back on, before switching it to the correct program.

Reinsert the hearing aid and see if this has been able to improve the sound quality or functionality.

Switching the battery positioning

No matter how many times you have replaced your hearing aid’s battery, there’s always a chance that you may have inserted the battery incorrectly the last time it was replaced. A telltale sign of this is that the battery “door” won’t quite close as snugly as it usually does.

The fix for this is rather simple; open the door, remove the battery, and insert it– checking that you have got it the correct way around. You should then close the door, place the hearing aid in your ear, and see if everything is now working as it should.

Clear the tubing

Finally, constant use can mean that the tubing of your hearing aid becomes blocked or compromised in some way. This is a repair you will particularly want to try if your hearing aid has recently been dropped; the tube may have been bent or damaged.

You can detach the tubing and inspect it for any signs of damage. Blow through it to ensure there are no internal obstacles. You can then replace the tubing, reinsert the complete hearing aid, and see if the issue has resolved.

Fixing hearing aid problems yourself is possible, but should be limited to easy troubleshooting items. For anything more detailed, you will need to contact your audiologist for further guidance.