Hearing Aid Troubleshooting Tips

2020-11-26

Has your hearing device developed an annoying whistle? Before making a special trip to the audiologist’s officer to get it fixed, it’s worth knowing that some problems have simple fixes. Take a look to see if you can sort these simple issues at home with minimal fuss and inconvenience. If the following tips don’t help, schedule an appointment with your audiologist to assist with your hearing aid repairs.

Q: My hearing aid no longer works. What can I do to fix it?

A: Common things are common, of which a dead battery heads the list. Remove the battery and wipe the contact with a clean dry cloth. Replace the battery with a new one that is within date, taking special care to insert it the correct way up, matching the symbols.

At the same time check the receiver tube for blockages. This is the length of tubing along which the amplified sound passes from the body of the hearing aid into your ear. It is prone to blockages, either from a buildup of earwax or condensation. Visually check the tubing and make sure it is clear. If it isn’t then insert a slim tool (inexpensive hearing aid maintenance kits are usually equipped with an appropriate tool) into the tubing and earmold to clean it. With the obstruction cleared there should be no further blockage to sound transmission into your ear.

If this fix and the new battery still doesn’t sort the problem then fair enough, you ruled out a simple fix and a trip to the audiologist is a good idea after all.

Q: My hearing device doesn’t make the sound as loud as it used to. What can I do?

A: If the amplified sound seems too quiet the two most likely causes are a blockage in the receiver tubing or your hearing has changed. As mentioned above, the receiver tube is the conduit along which the amplified sound travels. Any blockages in that tubing will act to deaden the sound, in the same way as putting your fingers in your ears would.

If you’ve carefully checked the tubing and it all seems in order, then consider the possibility that there’s been a change in your ability to hear and it is time to have a hearing checkup. Audiologists advise an annual hearing test.

Q: My hearing aid whistles and it’s driving me mad. How can I stop it?

A: This time it might not be the problem is with the hearing device but with wax in your ear canal or the way the device is inserted. Check to see you inserting the hearing device correctly and it sits where it should. Sometimes just removing the aid and the reinserting it correctly is all it takes to get whistle free sound. If you have no such luck then have your physician or hearing healthcare professional check your ear canal for wax build up and if necessary have the ears syringed.