Your hearing aids are amazing pieces of technology, but, like any other electronic, they can experience technical issues. Also, they’re small, delicate devices that sustain a lot of heavy use throughout the day. If your hearing aids have an issue, you may be able to address it yourself using the following techniques.
First Things First: Clean Your Hearing Aids
Earwax buildup is the primary cause of most hearing aid issues. Earwax can clog the speaker, reducing or muffling the sound quality; affect the fit of your hearing aid, causing it to fall out frequently or feel uncomfortable in your ear; and cause feedback by reflecting sound waves from the speaker out of the ear canal. Cleaning earwax from your hearing aids is an excellent first step and may resolve the issue immediately.
Use a brush or soft cloth (we recommend microfiber) to clean the body of your hearing aids, then use a wax removal tool (such as a wax pick or wax loop) to remove earwax from the speakers. Be very careful when working with the speaker.
Potential Hearing Aid Issues
If cleaning your hearing aids doesn’t fix the problem, follow the guide below to address it.
Distorted or Muffled Sound
- Make sure the volume is up.
- Check that the battery is fully charged.
- Check the listening program; you may have turned on a program meant for specialized scenarios by accident.
- Adjust the settings; check what frequencies are being amplified and the background noise suppression.
No Sound
- Check that the battery is fully charged.
- Look for signs of moisture damage, such as rust or battery corrosion. Dry your hearing aids in a dryer or dehumidifier if necessary.
- Check the listening program; you may have switched to the T-coil program or another assistive listening device program by accident.
Feedback
- Remove and reinsert your hearing aids.
- Clean your ears to remove any earwax buildup.
- Turn the volume down.
- Adjust the earmold or dome.
Battery Dying Too Fast
- Check the battery for rust or corrosion. Dry your hearing aids in a dryer or dehumidifier if necessary.
- Check the listening program; some programs drain battery faster than others.
- Look for other battery drains, such as Bluetooth®, accessories or streaming.
- Make sure your batteries haven’t expired.
When It’s Time for a Service Appointment
If you’ve tried all the fixes above and are still experiencing issues, come see Certified Hearing Aid Consultants for a repair and service appointment. We have sophisticated tools that can clean the delicate, hard-to-reach areas of your hearing aid, and we can run diagnostic tests to ensure the hearing aids are working as they should.