Hearing aids, despite their technological improvements, are vulnerable to the same issues that affect all electronic devices. Whether it is being subjected to moisture, excessive wax, debris, or physical damage, it pays to take steps to regularly maintain your devices to ensure they continue to perform at their best.
What you can do to maintain your hearing aids
Three of the most significant risks to a hearing aid’s regular functioning are moisture, dust, and earwax. That’s why you should consider investing in appliances such as a battery tester, a forced air blower, and a dry jar.
Moisture will accumulate during the day, either from sweat or switching between various temperatures. To remove this moisture overnight, a drying or dehumidifying device helps. In this jar, put your hearing aids and let them dry out overnight. Before going for a swim or taking a shower, remember to take out your hearing aids.
Earwax is one of the main causes of reduced hearing aid output. Sadly, it’s hard to stop making the electronics come into contact with earwax. That’s why it’s essential to take some time and regularly clean them. Take a dry cotton swab or soft toothbrush after using your hearing aids each day and gently remove any earwax or dirt that might be on the unit. Take care to clean both the microphone and the receiver.
Regularly check the batteries. You do not want to be caught at a critical moment without batteries! Remove the batteries to help air circulate and dry them out while not using your hearing aids.
Use a smooth, dry cloth while cleaning your hearing aids. Check for dirt, waste, and earwax buildup. To clear debris from various parts, use a forced air blower, but stop using a hairdryer! The heat could damage your aids badly.
Common hearing aid issues
Here are a few hearing aid issues you might encounter:
- They have stopped turning on.
- You can hear whistling.
- The battery door has come off.
- There is a “muffled” or “dull?” sound.
- They are too loud or aren’t enough.
- There is a distortion or a buzzing sound.
Depending on the problem you have, you may be able to repair your hearing aid by yourself. Let’s look at some recommended fixes for hearing aids you can try right now:
- Replace the battery
- Remove the hearing aid and reinsert it again
- Use a towel to wipe your hearing aid
- Replace the wax filter
- Make sure the battery compartment is shut properly
- Take a look at the input settings for your device
When to visit us at Coastal Hearing Clinic for Professional Repairs
We are happy to help if you’ve tried the above tips, and your hearing aid is still out of service. If something goes wrong, we’ll help you fix common hearing aid issues or send them to someone else if the problem is more involved. We serve all brands, including those we don’t carry, so whether you buy your hearing aids from a big box store or online, we will help you get the most out of your items.
We have on-site hearing aid cleaning, servicing, and upgrades for all hearing aids, regardless of where you purchased them from. Repairs aren’t the most enjoyable thing to do with your time, but the difference between keeping an active social life and being forced to miss out may mean a properly repaired hearing aid. We try to make the hearing aid repair process as open and trouble-free as we can.
Right here at our office, we can undertake the necessary repairs. If the repair is more essential, we will then submit it for repair to the manufacturer.
How much do repairs to hearing aids cost? Repair costs for attending aids change depending on the following factors:
- The warranty on the device
- How damaged the device is
- How much it would cost to order the components
Some hearing aids will not be worth replacing, but most of them can be saved with a little time and extra costs.
If you have purchased your hearing aid from us and a warranty still protects it, it is likely that the cost of replacing your hearing aid would be minimal, or even free. Hearing aids that are not covered will require a fee.