Common issues with hearing aids and how to resolve them

Things do go wrong from time to time with hearing aids. The most important thing is not to panic. There are some checks you can do yourself at home which may just fix the problem before having to call your hearing care professional…

Why is my hearing aid dead?

One of the most common issues with hearing aids that we have people call in about is that their hearing aid is dead. There are a few different things that could be causing your hearing aid to be unresponsive. If you use battery powered aids, the first thing we would always suggest is to pop a new battery in. You should do this even if you think that the battery shouldn’t have run out yet.

If you have rechargeable hearing aids and they appear to have not charged overnight, it’s important to check the charger. If any dust or debris makes its way onto the charging contact in the charger, it will hinder its ability to charge. You should check the charger and the hearing aid for anything which could cause the contact between the two to be broken. Once you have tried both of these things to no avail, it could be time to contact your hearing care professional so they can check that nothing more is going on.

Why is my hearing aid whistling?

There are 3 main reasons that cause your hearing aids to make a whistling sound. These are earwax, a bad fit or erosion on the actual hearing aid. It is very rare that a hearing aid would suffer from erosion so you can more than likely rule this out. This is especially true if your aids are not more than 3 years old.

Whistling caused by earwax could either be because you have a build-up of earwax in your ear or in your hearing aid filter. The first thing we’d suggest is changing your filter. This should be done at least once a month. If this doesn’t make a difference, you can book an appointment for a hearing care professional to check your ears. If there’s excess earwax, they will be able to remove it for you.

Whistling can also be caused because either your hearing aid dome is not the right size for your ear or you are not putting your hearing aid in deep enough. We would advise that you book in for an appointment with your hearing care professional in this instance.

Why am I not hearing as well as I was previously?

It’s important to keep on top of cleaning your hearing aids. The best thing to do first is to give your hearing aids a visual inspection. You will then be able to see clearly the areas that need cleaning. You should begin by using a soft cloth to clean your aids gently. Do not ever use water or place your aids in water as this could ruin them. After you have wiped them over, you can begin to use your small brushes and tools to dislodge any earwax that may have built up.

Once your hearing aids are clean, you can assess whether you need to change the wax filters and domes. It is advisable to change these at least once a month. This ensures they aren’t clogged up with earwax and affecting your hearing.

You should ensure that you keep up with your 6 monthly hearing appointments. This is so that any changes to your hearing loss are captured. Your hearing aids can then be reprogrammed to the new loss.

If you like to book yourself in for a hearing consultation, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We would also be happy to answer any further queries on issues with hearing aids for you.