Troubleshooting Tips for Common Hearing Aid Malfunctions

Hearing aid repairs can be made by your audiologist. However, there are some easy fixes you can make yourself if there is physical damage. Troubleshooting hearing aids is relatively easy and can help your hearing aids to work in optimal condition if it is just a malfunction.

Why You Need to Care for a Hearing Aid

Since they are delicate devices, hearing aids need to be cared for correctly. Water, wax and other debris can creep inside the casing and tubes, causing damage to the tiny parts of your hearing aids. Common issues, such as dropping hearing aids, can also cause problems. Many of these cannot be avoided and happen in everyday life. Troubleshooting or an audiologist can help you with repairs.

Buzzing and Feedback

One of the most common issues with hearing aids is buzzing or feedback. These cause strange sounds in your ears that shouldn’t be there. To fix these, first try the following:

• Ensure the device is fitted onto or into your ear correctly.
• Check the tubing for splits, cracks and bends and replace every four-to-six months.
• Look for cracks on the device that could cause buzzing and feedback.

Buzzing and feedback are very common with hearing aids, and simple checks can fix them. And although it may seem obvious, ensure you have the device switched to the correct setting.

The Device Stopped Working

Hearing aids can sometimes appear as they have stopped working. This is often nothing to worry about and can be fixed easily. To remedy a hearing aid that is not functioning properly, try doing some of the following troubleshooting:

• Replace the batteries with fresh ones and ensure they are clean and dry.
• Check the tubing for any damage, such as cracks and blockages.
• Clean the tubing with soap and water and leave it to completely dry out.

If these troubleshooting tips do not work, contact your audiologist. There may be physical damage to your hearing aid you may not see. Your audiologist will find the perfect solution for you, to get your hearing aids running again.

Environmental Damage

Whether it’s an accident or lifestyle effects, hearing aids can be damaged by the environment. Wind can cause them to malfunction, but getting the wet is a common problem:

• Remove the battery from the device and dry the hearing aid with a soft, dry cloth.
• Leave the battery door open and leave in a room temperature room for a day or two.
• Reinsert the batteries to check it or use new batteries if it doesn’t work.

These are three of the most common hearing aid malfunctions. If these tips do not work, then you will need expert help from an audiologist who can make the necessary repairs.

What to Do About It

Hearing aid maintenance and care is the best prevention. But they aren’t designed to last forever. If troubleshooting doesn’t work, then you need to get in touch with an audiologist. They will check your hearing aids for any damage and if so, provide the right repair for you.