Common Hearing Aid Repairs

Having trouble with your hearing aid? 

If you hearing device is playing up, it may need professional attention. However, whether it’s static feedback or loss of volume, avoid an unnecessary trip to the audiologist’s office by first checking out these basic steps.

Check for trapped wax

The small size of modern hearing devices means they are tiny tubes and small ports which can easily become clogged with that most natural of all substances, earwax. If an ear mold becomes plugged this leads to reduced volume or static feedback, which can make it seem the hearing device is faulty when all it needs is a clean.

As with so many things, prevention is better than cure. Wipe your hearing aid off with a soft cloth every night, and check the ports for the presence of wax. If you find yourself regularly dislodging lumps of wax from the ear mold, then using an ear cleaner a couple of times a month may help.

Inexpensive cleaning kits are available, designed to keep the ports of your device clean. For a minimal financial outlay these enable you to remove wax plugs without damaging to the delicate working parts of the device.

Battery health

If your hearing aid isn’t performing as it should, then replace the battery. A rundown or faulty battery, or indeed one inserted incorrectly, leads to a poorly performing hearing device.

Dry the device

Rain, high humidity, and perspiration are all the enemy of hearing devices. From moisture than can build up in the fine tubes to condensation in the battery compartment, the end result is an underperforming device.

Take care to open the battery compartment at the end of each day, to allow it to air. Also, wipe the device over with a clean dry soft cloth, and ideally store the hearing aid overnight in a dehumidifier. Again, these can be purchased inexpensively and can constructively extend the working life of your hearing device.

Check the tuning

If the hearing device sounds muffled or ceases to amplify sound, check the dials and settings. It’s the easiest thing for the volume dial to get knocked whilst putting the aid in your ear, and sometimes a lack of amplification can be down to something as simple as the volume switch getting tweaked to minimum.

Similarly, if the hearing device appears ‘dead’, try the on/off switch a couple of times. It’s easy for the button to inadvertently be pressed to the wrong setting.

Check the tubing

If yours is a behind-the-ear (BTE) device, regularly check the tubing for condensation, wax or breakage. Just as a puncture hosepipe won’t water the garden, so faulty tubing won’t transmit sound and simply replacing it could be the answer.

And finally, if you’ve covered all the basics then contact your audiologist. Interference, persistent static or sound fading in and out, are all problems they are familiar with and should be able to remedy.