For those dealing with hearing loss, hearing aids have been a vital part of improving the quality of life of their wearers. As the name implies, hearing aids restore the wearer’s ability to hear once more, allowing them to live a normal and wonderful life. That being said, hearing aids aren’t indestructible. These little pieces of equipment still require some form of maintenance to stay in good condition, and proper care is a must if one were to lengthen the lifespan of their hearing aids.
That said, if you own some hearing aids, you might be wondering what problems you should be looking out for during your maintenance routines. There’s many, and today, we’ll list some of the common issues you can keep an eye out for in your hearing aids:
1. Dead Batteries
If it doesn’t look like your hearing aid has sustained any damage at all but simply doesn’t want to work, it might be because the battery has died. This might seem like a simple issue, but it is a problem that many people forget can happen. Regardless, go ahead and try recharging the battery or replacing them. If you want to test the batteries themselves, you can invest in a battery tester to check whether the batteries are the root cause of the issue or not.
2. Blockages
Your ears constantly produce earwax to protect the inner parts of the ear from outside debris. While this is a good thing, it can be quite troublesome for hearing aids. After some time, the hearing aids can end up being blocked by earwax. This can hurt the hearing aid’s performance, making it seem like it isn’t as loud as before. For that reason, always inspect the hearing aid for earwax, and clean up the blockage, if any.
3. Whistling Noises
Hearing aids aren’t supposed to make any out-of-the-ordinary noise when in use. If you do hear something off, chances are something’s wrong with the hearing aids. For example, if your hearing aids are making a whistling sound, it might be because the hearing aids are just too loud. Why it’s too loud in the first place can be for many reasons. It can be that your hearing has changed or that the hearing aid is blocked by earwax, forcing you to up the volume. Regardless, the problem happens when the hearing aids pick up feedback from the high volume. To fix this, you either have to upgrade to a better hearing aid or clean it out.
Conclusion
If you have hearing aids, keep an eye out for the problems we’ve shared and tackle them if they are affecting your hearing aids. This will ensure that your hearing aids are performing as best as possible and enjoy an extended lifespan. That being said, if you are running into issues you cannot seem to solve, we highly recommend reaching out to an audiologist on the topic. They can thoroughly test, troubleshoot, and fix your hearing aids for you, and they can even give you extra maintenance tips. In doing so, your hearing aid is restored to its full potential, and you can leave with new-found knowledge on how to care for your hearing aids better!
Hear More Associates are the most trusted hearing care specialists in Southern New Hampshire, Eastern Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, offering high-quality audiological help to meet every patient’s hearing needs. If you are looking for the best hearing aids, reach out to us today!
