Hearing aids come in many different styles and types. Different aids help people with different types of hearing loss. A broken hearing aid sometimes needs to be brought back to the audiologist, who can either repair or send it to the manufacturer for repair. However, there are measures hearing aid wearers can take to solve some problems themselves.
Instructions
1. Clean earwax off of the earpieces. This may seem obvious, but earwax causes problems that mimic a broken hearing aid. In behind-the-ear models, a buildup of earwax can cause feedback. A broken tube in the hearing aid can also cause feedback; clean the earwax off first. Use a soft rag or soft brush that you get from your audiologist. Also, some hearing aid earpieces have earwax guards that you change periodically to prevent problems with buildup. Your audiologist can supply you with extra earpieces to go with your model.
2. Visit an ear, nose and throat doctor and have your ears cleaned out. Dealing with a buildup of earwax in your own ears prevents clogging the microphone with earwax. Don't try to deal with this on your own; do see a professional. Attempting to remove earwax on your own (such as with Q-tips) could cause more damage to your hearing.
3. Dry out your hearing aids. Some models come with a device that you put your hearing aids into every night to dry them out. If you have this, remove the batteries first, and do this every night while you sleep. A moist hearing aid may behave like it is broken, and drying it out every night will take care of this problem. If you don't have a drying device, ask your audiologist about this option. At the very least, remove aids every night, remove batteries and leave battery cases open to let the hearing aids air-dry. Keep them high up and out of the reach of children and pets.
4. Change the batteries every week. Your hearing aids may not signal that the batteries are weak before the amplification lessens. Change the batteries weekly to avoid problems.
5. Check the battery case to see if it is loose. If your is not closing properly and you don't want to bother with an appointment with your audiologist, try closing it shut with a little masking tape every morning (behind-the-ear models).
6. Ask your audiologist or the manufacturer for help. If the shell is cracked or the tubing is broken, you cannot repair it yourself. The bottom line is that for broken parts, you need to either contact the manufacturer for a replacement shell or bring the broken hearing aid to your audiologist for help.
Tags: every night, , broken hearing, your hearing, battery case, behind-the-ear models