Just like any other electronic device, your hearing aids need good maintenance and care and eventually, they may need repair. Read this article to see what needs to be done, and when and how to extend the life of your hearing aids.
First and foremost I need to clarify that there is a fine line between the hearing aids that need repair and the hearing aids that require cleaning, or those which need reprogramming and adjustment. I have separated the symptoms of a faulty hearing aid into 3 different groups. Please continue reading.
Group A (setting and fitting optimisation)
If you experience any of the following with your hearing aids then you need to seek help from your audiologist to reprogram or adjust the settings of your hearing aids. Your hearing aids might need setting and fitting optimisation.
The hearing aid is uncomfortable or painful
The hearing aid does not stay in/on your ear
The hearing aid whistles
Your ears feel plugged up
Your voice sounds strange and very loud (or boomy)
You can’t hear the conversation in noisy places like restaurants
You can’t hear well over the telephone
Sounds around you like paper rustling or water running are too loud
The hearing aid is not being inserted properly
Earmold doesn’t fit right (falling out, moving, hard to insert, hurts, noise while chewing, plugging, popping).
The ear canal is plugged with earwax
Hearing has changed, you need a fresh hearing test and a reprogramming
Group B (training)
Believe it or not, a big part of what users perceive as a faulty hearing aid may be fixed with a bit of cleaning and caring.
The battery is dead or inserted incorrectly
The wax guard is plugged
The microphone is plugged
The speaker wire is damaged
The tubing is old and stiffened or possibly cracked
The tubing has moisture/liquid inside it
The vent is plugged with cerumen/debris
The hearing aid has accumulated internal moisture
Living in locations with humid climates such as Dubai and Miami may cause the blockage of the microphone or the speaker of the hearing aid with moisture. Please see the other article on HearingNow about how to clean a hearing aid when exposed to moisture or water.
But in my experience, the ear wax is the usual suspect. people who their body create a lot of ear wax are prone to have the speaker of the hearing aid (some call it receiver) blocked by ear wax.
Group C (repair)
After all your hearing aid may be faulty. They work 10-15 hours a day, 7 days a week. They are the estate of the art technology which is usually exposed to moisture, shock, vibration and heat (IIC, CIC, ITE, ITC). Here are examples of symptoms in which your hearing aids might be faulty.
There is no sound coming out of the speaker (please refer to the brochure of your hearing aid to rule out the chance of blockage of the speaker and/or the microphone inlet by dust, ear wax or moisture)
One of the hearing aids sounds suddenly or gradually drops to about half
A steading clicking or buzzing sound is heard on one of the hearing aids
The run time of your rechargeable hearing aid has been dropping
The wire that connects the hearing aid to the speaker (some call it the receiver) is loose, kinked or broken
If you experienced any of the above scenarios the best is to contact your hearing care professional for help, especially if your hearing aids are under warranty. If not, please feel free to contact us for a free consultation on your faulty hearing aid.
How can I maintain my hearing aids?
If you search online for cleaning and maintenance of your model hearing aids you will find tons of how-to videos that show how to clean and maintain your hearing aids. You can also see the HearingNow Support page for links to the manufacturer's page with tips and tricks and how-to videos.
Another source of information for cleaning and maintaining your hearing aids is the little brochure that comes with the hearing aid.
And last but not least is your hearing care professional. I'll be happy to help you with a free follow-up consultation when we can go through the cleaning and maintenance of your hearing aids.
How much does it cost to reprogram a pair of hearing aids?
We charge £120 for one and £160 for reprogramming of hearing aids in our clinic in London. Please see more details and book a hearing aid reprogramming here.
What is the turnaround time for hearing aid reprogramming?
It only takes about 2 days turnaround for reprogram your hearing aids. We usually clean, service and return your hearing aids with a new program or prescription either the same day or the next vis 1st class Royal Mail.
How long does a repair of hearing aids take?
The minor repair is done in our clinics in London and it only takes 1 to 2 working days to turn around your hearing aids via Royal Mail. Most of the major repair and replacement of rechargeable batteries of hearing aids is done by the manufacturers with a 1-2 weeks turnaround time.
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