Hearing Aid Troubleshooting: Follow These Steps to Diagnose The Problem

Hearing aids require regular maintenance to keep in top condition. Yet, even when you provide the best care, you may come across times where you are baffled by how your hearing aids are acting.

To help you when you are trying to fix your hearing aids, our hearing instrument specialists here at Hearing Associates of Las Vegas have covered some common hearing aid issues and the steps you need to follow to troubleshoot—and hopefully, fix—your hearing aids.

No Sound Is Coming From My Hearing Aids

If you put in your hearing aids and they aren’t producing any sound, don’t panic. There are several steps you can take to see if you can correct the problem at home.

1. Take a look at your hearing aid. Can you see anything which could be blocking the sound of your hearing aids? Sometimes debris or earwax can clog up the microphone or sound outlet of your hearing aids, so be sure to clean your hearing aids carefully to dislodge any debris.
2. Double-check that you have turned your hearing aids on. Some hearing aids have an obvious switch you can toggle to turn your hearing aids on, while others are simply turned on when you close the hearing aid battery door. Check to see that your hearing aid battery doors are correctly closed to ensure power is reaching your hearing aids.
3. Make sure that the volume of your hearing aids is turned up. Hearing aids with a volume wheel are prone to becoming turned down too low to hear, so you should be sure to check the volume by spinning the wheel. If you have a hearing aid remote to control the volume, make sure that the battery in the remote is charged then try to turn up the volume on your hearing aids.
4. Check to see if your hearing aids are set to a different listening program. If it is on an incompatible program, it can be causing the issue with your hearing aids’ sound. Toggle between programs to see if this restores your sound.
5. Swap out the battery. If you have a battery tester, you can check to see if your battery is really dead before you swap them out.

Should none of these steps work to correct your hearing aids, then they may have become damaged. In that case, it is best to bring your hearing aids into one of our hearing clinics so that we can repair them in our in-house hearing aid repair lab or send it out to the manufacturer.

The Volume On My Hearing Aids Is Too Quiet

Too quiet hearing aids can be as frustrating as wearing none at all. If you have already tried to turn up the volume on your hearing aids with no success, here are some steps to take to try and correct the lack of volume.

1. Cycle through your hearing aid programs to see if they are on the wrong setting. If you have a telecoil and it is on, that also can be the source of your too quiet hearing aids.
2. Look at your hearing aids for either blockage or other issues. While it may be easy to see if there is any problem with In-The-Ear hearing aids, with Behind-The-Ear hearing aids, there are several areas where damage can occur. Be sure to check the tubing, casing, earmold, and receiver for any damage or blockage. If there is damage, you can bring it into us for our hearing instrument specialists to repair.

There is also the potential that your hearing has changed. If you have experienced further hearing loss, you will need to have a hearing evaluation with one of our hearing specialists. If possible, after they have determined the extent of your hearing loss, they may be able to reprogram your hearing aids to match your current level of hearing loss.

My Hearing Aids Are Screeching Or Whistling

Hearing aids can be prone to feedback, which is often identified as screeching or whistling sounds. If your hearing aids are acting up and squealing, here is what you can do to make it stop.

1. One of the first things to try is to simply take out and re-insert your hearing aids. As hearing aids are prone to squealing when there are gaps between your ears and the devices, this fix can be the easiest way to correct feedback.
2. Turn your hearing aids’ volume down. If this does work, your hearing aids may need to be refit, as it can be a sign that air is leaking around your hearing aids, especially if you have an earmold. Our hearing specialist can re-cast your earmold and ensure it fits you correctly.
3. Earwax buildup in your ear can be the source of the feedback you are hearing. Our hearing instrument specialist can clean out the blockage safely and easily.

If you have recently lost a significant amount of weight, that can also cause your hearing aids to fit incorrectly. By working with our hearing aid specialist, you can have your hearing aids correctly fitted for your new weight.

Hearing Associates Of Las Vegas Offers Hearing Aid Repairs

Here at Hearing Associates of Las Vegas, we provide a wide array of hearing services. If your hearing aids are not working how you would like them to, then you can bring them into one of our hearing clinics. Our hearing instrument specialist can test your hearing aids in our hearing aid repair lab and make repairs if possible.

If there are major repairs needed, we will be happy to send your hearing aids to the manufacturer. We will also provide you with a loaned set of hearing aids! That way, you won’t be without the ability to hear while your hearing aids are being repaired.

Set up a hearing aid repair appointment with us by contacting us. We will be happy to help you any way we can!