3 Ways to Troubleshoot Hearing Aid Repairs

Hearing aids are essential if you experience hearing loss. If they start to go haywire, you want to do everything in your power to make sure the problem gets fixed quickly and correctly. However, not everyone is an expert at fixing hearing aids, so these tips will help you troubleshoot problems and make sure your hearing aids get repaired smoothly from start to finish.

1. Make Sure That You're Following Care Instructions

If you use hearing aids, it’s extremely helpful to know how they actually work and how to best care for them. Digital hearing aids, like most modern in the ear (ITE), behind the ear (BTE) and in the canal (ITC) are made of three simple parts. The microphone receives natural sound and converts it to digital audio. An amplifier then raises the levels of that digital sound. Finally, a speaker plays the amplified sound into the eardrum.

That sounds simple enough, but each stage has its own potential problems. From a clogged wax filter to a corroded battery, hearing aids have delicate components you should understand inside and out before attempting to mess with. Make sure that you're following your care instructions as closely as possible so that you don't cause more trouble during the repair itself!

2. Investigate What’s Wrong

Once you understand the technology better, you can investigate what the problem is. For instance, muffled or quiet sounds might be the result of exposure to moisture. Audiologists can diagnose the specific problems but pinpointing it yourself means you can pursue at-home solutions. Maybe instead of a scheduled repair, you just need to clean the filter!

3. Know When to Go to an Audiologist

If you run into a problem that you can't fix on your own, it’s essential you turn to an audiologist. They’re specialty devices that require specialty care, and a professional skill set might be the only way to solve more serious defects. But it’s helpful to know what the issue actually is so that you can take the appropriate steps.

Knowing how to describe a problem can also be helpful in the repair process. Some hearing aids have features that require an ear exam from an audiologist before any repairs can be done. And if the hearing aid requires a new battery or more than one battery change in a year, this should also be handled by an audiologist.

Troubleshooting hearing aid repairs necessitates a proactive approach. But the moment you notice a problem, you can take effective action if you understand the devices and pay close attention to the kind of problem.

To avoid time-consuming repairs, educate yourself on how hearing aids work and on the most common problems. That way, when you find yourself in a tough situation, you'll know what to do. However, if you end up needing to go to an audiologist, you will be well equipped to both describe the problem and guide the audiologist to the right place to fix it.