How to Tell if You Need Hearing Aid Repairs

Although small, hearing aid devices can be quite complicated, and so can the repairs and maintenance that go along with them. What we are going to look at today is, how you can tell if your hearing aid requires repairs.

Whistling

A common issue with hearing aids is feedback. Although common, it is very misunderstood and can be very dangerous to your hearing aid. 

Firstly, we should try and understand what causes the whistling noise. The holy trinity on the hearing aid involves a microphone, an amplifier and a speaker. The sound takes a journey to each, respectively.

Now when the sound exits the speak, it makes its journey down the canal of the ear. The one problem anybody can come across here is earwax. If there is a blockage, the sound will bounce back, travel back through the ear canal and back to the hearing device. 

When this happens, it causes small amounts of damage to the hearing device. This is something that will need to be addressed by your hearing professional.

Another cause of feedback can be the way the hearing device is seated. If the hearing device is sitting even with slight incorrectness, this can cause the same issue as before. The journey of the sound is just interrupted.

A hearing health professional will be able to make any repairs to the device and also be able to check the ear canal for any blockages. 

You should always remember that your hearing health professional should be your first port of call, even for ear wax build-up.

Dead Device

This one may seem obvious, but a dead device should not be an invitation to tinker. Of course, if the solution is simple, such as the requirement for a new battery, then this is something that can be actioned by yourself.

The problem could be far more complicated. If after changing the battery ad checking the volume settings, you find no response from the device. You should take this device straight to your hearing health professional. 

The hearing device functions by using three main things as we have already mentioned. These items are susceptible to blockage and could be an easy repair for your local professional.

Another thing that you may have to take into consideration is a sudden hearing change. These changes can occur, and this is why it is vital to visit your local hearing health professional as soon as possible.

Unnatural Noise

Having forms of distortion and abnormal noise is one of the biggest tells that your hearing aid requires repairs.

These noises may be caused by moisture, corrosion and even a malfunction in the amplifier. You should be listening out for any static-like interference with the device or anything that resembles a crackle.

You may get some distortion from background noise. This is natural. The hearing device can not define between sounds so the amplifier will perform on all noise. The noise you should be wary of is a constant noise that does not disappear. Should this happen, be sure to contact your hearing health professional and they will take care of this for you. 

Hearing health professionals should be your first option if you experience any issues with your device. They will always take the time to resolve each one and explain to you the root cause and how to avoid it in future.