Hearing Aids Can Malfunction in These Three Ways

Have you ever been watching your favorite Netflix movie when your internet suddenly 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. Maybe it’s your modem, might be your router, possibly it’s the internet company, or possibly it’ll just fix itself. It sort of stinks.

Technology can be enormously frustrating when it doesn’t work correctly. The same is definitely true of your hearing aids. Most of the time, your hearing aids will give you the means to stay connected to loved ones, have discussions with co-workers, and keep up with your neighbors.

But your symptoms of hearing loss can suddenly become extremely frustrating when your hearing aids quit working. The technology you’re depending on has failed you. Why would your hearing aids just stop functioning? So what should you do? Well, there are three prevalent ways that hearing aids can fail, here’s how you can begin to recognize and troubleshoot those issues.

Hearing aids can often have three common issues

Even though hearing aids are sophisticated technology, people may encounter three common issues with them. Let’s take a look at possible causes of these issues and potential fixes.

Feedback and whistling

So, perhaps you’re attempting to have a chat with your family or watch your favorite television show and you start to hear a dreadful whistling noise. Or perhaps you notice a bit of feedback. And so you think, “Why am I hearing whistling in my hearing aids? This is odd”.

Whistling and feedback can be caused by these possible issues:

• Earwax buildup in your ear canal can compromise the way your hearing aid functions. You’ll find this comes up pretty often. That includes making your hearing aid whistle or feedback. You can attempt to clean some of the earwax out (never use a cotton swab) and if that fails, you can get some assistance from us.
• You might not have your hearing aids correctly positioned in your ears. Try removing them 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 connects the hearing aid with the earmold, on behind-the-ear models, can sometimes become compromised. Try to inspect this tubing as closely as you can and make certain nothing is loose and the tube doesn’t appear damaged.

If these issues are not easily resolvable, it’s worth consulting with us about correcting the fit or sending your device in for maintenance (depending on what we determine the root cause of that whistling or feedback may be).

No sound coming from your hearing aids

The main goal of hearing aids is to produce sound. That’s their principal function! So if you find yourself thinking, “I can’t hear any sound coming from my hearing aid,” well, then something is definitely not right. So what could cause hearing aids to lose all sound? Well, there are a few things:

• Power: Everyone forgets to turn their hearing aids on once in a while. Check for this first. Then you can eliminate that as possible issues.
• Batteries: If you have rechargeable batteries, make certain that they’re completely charged. And even rechargeable batteries should be switched out on occasion.
• Your settings: Cycle through the custom settings if your device has them. Your hearing aids may think you’re in a huge room when you’re actually in a small 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! Inspect your device for indications of earwax on the microphone or speakers or any sensitive bits. Keep your device very clean.

If these steps don’t correct your issues, we might have the answers. Whether repair, maintenance, or replacement is your next step, we will be capable of helping you figure that out.

Your ears hurt while you’re wearing your hearing aids

What if your hearing aids are working fine, but whenever you put them in your ears, your ears begin hurting? And you’re most likely thinking: why do my ears hurt when I wear my hearing aids? You’re not as likely to wear your hearing aids every day if they hurt your ears. So, why do they ache?

• Fit: The most evident problem can be the fit. After all, most hearing aids work best when the fit is nice and snug. Which means that there can sometimes be pain involved in a poor fit. Some models of hearing aid can be fit to the distinct shape of your ears. The better the fit, the fewer issues you’ll have with pain over the long haul. If you come see us, we can help you achieve the best fit for your device.
• Time: Getting accustomed to your hearing aids will take some time. How long will depend on the person. It’s worth talking about when you purchase your hearing aids so you have a reasonable idea of how long it may take you to get comfortable with your devices. If uncomfortable ears remain, speak with us about that as well!

Bypass issues with a little test drive

Before you decide on a pair of hearing aids, it’s a smart plan to try them out for a while. In the majority of cases we’ll let you test out a pair of devices before you decide that’s the pair for you.

In fact, we can help you figure out the best type of hearing aid for your requirements, adjust the fit to match your ears, and help you manage any ongoing issues you might have with your devices. We will be your resource for any help you need.

And that’s a lot more than you will get from an over-the-counter hearing aid!