Have you ever been watching your favorite Netflix movie when your internet abruptly disappears? Instead of discovering who won the baking show, you have to watch a never-ending spinning circle. All you can do is wait around for it to come back. Perhaps it’s your modem, might be your router, possibly it’s the internet provider, or possibly it’ll just fix itself. It kind of stinks.
When technology breaks down, it can be very frustrating. The same is certainly true of your hearing aids. When they’re functioning correctly, hearing aids can help you remain connected with the ones you love and better hear co-workers when they speak to you.
But when they quit working, your hearing loss symptoms can suddenly become a lot more frustrating. The technology you’re depending on has let you down. Why would your hearing aids just quit working? So how do you deal with that? Well, there are three common ways that hearing aids can fail, here’s how you can start to identify and troubleshoot those issues.
Hearing aids can often have three common issues
Even though hearing aids are complex technology, individuals might encounter three common issues with them. Let’s take a look at possible causes of these problems and potential fixes.
Feedback and whistling
So, perhaps you’re trying to have a conversation with your family or watch your favorite television show and you start to notice a horrific whistling noise. Or maybe you hear some feedback. And so you think, “Why do I hear whistling in my hearing aids? This is odd”.
Feedback and whistling can be caused by these possible problems:
- The functionality of your hearing aid can be impacted by earwax accumulation in your ear canal. This is a fairly common one. Whistling and feedback are frequently one outcome of this sort of earwax buildup. If possible, you can try clearing some earwax out of your ear or consult with us about the best method to do that (don’t use a cotton swab).
- You might not have your hearing aids correctly positioned in your ears. Try taking them out and putting them back in. If the fit isn’t right you may need to come in so we can help you get a better fit.
- The tubing that attaches the hearing aid with the earmold, on behind-the-ear models, can sometimes become compromised. Take a close look to see if the tube may have detached or may be compromised in some way.
Depending on the root cause of the feedback, we can help you deal with these issues if you can’t fix them on your own.
Hearing aids not producing sound
The main goal of hearing aids is to produce sound. That’s their main function! So if you find yourself thinking, “I can’t hear any sound in my hearing aid,” well, then something is certainly wrong. So what could cause hearing aids to lose all sound? Here are a few things to watch for:
- Batteries: If you have rechargeable batteries, be sure that they are fully charged. And even rechargeable batteries should be swapped out on occasion.
- Power: Look, we’ve all forgotten to turn on the hearing aid before. Make certain that’s not the issue. This potential problem can then be eliminated..
- Your settings: If you have them, cycle through your personalized settings. Your hearing aids might think you’re in a huge space when you’re actually in a little room because the setting is wrong. The sound you’re hearing may be off as a consequence.
- Earwax buildup: Here we go again with the earwax! Take a close look to see if you find any earwax on the speakers or microphone. Keep your device really clean.
If these steps don’t address your problems, we may have the solution. Whether repair, maintenance, or replacement is your next step, we will be able to help you figure that out.
When you have your hearing aids in, your ears hurt
What if your hearing aids are working fine, but every time you put them in your ears, your ears begin hurting? And you’re probably thinking: why do my ears ache when I use my hearing aids? This kind of discomfort isn’t exactly conducive to using your hearing aids on a day-to-day basis. So, what could be causing it?
- Fit: The most obvious problem can be the fit. Naturally, when the fit is nice and tight, your hearing aids will work best. Which means that there can occasionally be pain involved in a poor fit. Some hearing aid models can be fit to the specific shape of your ears. The better the fit, the fewer problems you’ll have with pain over the long run. We will be able to help you achieve the best possible fit from your devices.
- Time: Usually, it just takes some time to get accustomed to your hearing aids. Each person will have a different adjustment period. When you first get your hearing aids, we can help you get a realistic idea of the adjustment period you can anticipate. If uncomfortable ears persist, talk to us about that as well!
Take your new hearing aid out for a test ride
Before you commit to a set of hearing aids, it’s a good idea to try them out for a while. In the majority of instances we’ll let you try out a set of devices before you decide that’s the set for you.
In fact, we can help you identify the best kind of hearing aid for your needs, adjust the fit to match your ears, and help you manage any ongoing problems you may have with your devices. In other words, when your devices quit working, you’ll have a resource that can help!
And that’s a lot more than you will get with an over-the-counter hearing aid!
