What's Wrong With Your Hearing Aid? Challenges and Solutions

Hearing aids can prove invaluable for helping individuals with hearing impairments enjoy a higher quality of life, go about daily tasks more effectively, and respond to aural warnings of potential danger. However, even in today's world of highly advanced hearing aid technology, problems can interfere with your hearing aid experience.

Once you understand why such problems occur and how to recognize their probable causes, you can take the necessary steps to correct any issues that might stand in the way of clearer hearing. Take a look at the following possible hearing aid challenges and their solutions.

Your Hearing Aids Don't Boost Your Hearing

If a hearing aid can't enhance your hearing acuity to the degree you or your audiologist expected or if its performance has declined since you first started using it, you may need to do some troubleshooting to determine the underlying cause. You might simply need to boost the volume in response to worsened hearing loss.

If your hearing hasn't gotten worse, check the device for ear wax accumulation. Ear wax can sometimes block the passage of sound waves to the microphone or cause other parts to malfunction. While this problem occurs less often than it once did in older hearing aid models, it can still reduce a device's effectiveness.

If your hearing aid has stopped working completely, you may need to replace the batteries. The tiny batteries that power hearing aids tend to run out of power within weeks, especially if you use them round the clock. If fresh batteries don't seem to help, double-check your volume level or have a professional inspect the device.

Your Hearing Aid Causes Discomfort

A hearing aid shouldn't feel painful to insert, use, or remove from the outer ear canal. If you've given yourself some time to get accustomed to the sensation of wearing a hearing aid and still feel discomfort from it, your provider may need to fit you with a different-sized earpiece. Some models also offer greater sleep comfort than others.

When you first receive a hearing aid, you may feel a sensation of stuffiness in your head until you get used to having the earpieces occupy one or both ear canals. You may experience some mild headaches. However, if these normal sensations don't resolve on their own, your audiologist may need to adjust or swap out the device.

Your Hearing Aid Makes Strange Noises

Hearing aids don't always give you only the sounds you want to hear. If you experience annoying feedback with high-pitched whistling or squealing sounds, try inserting the hearing carefully and completely before switching it on. This strategy can help prevent friction from relaying unnatural sounds to the device.

A hearing aid that has its volume level turned up too high can sometimes generate feedback-like noises. Always check your hearing aid's volume level before you insert it and switch it on. If you hear feedback, turn the volume down until the feedback fades (but not so low that you don't get adequate hearing enhancement).

The sensitive, delicate electronics in hearing aids can sustain damage from moisture and impacts. They may even develop internal malfunctions for no obvious reason. If you hear static, distortion, or sounds that cut in and out, you may need to have a professional repair or replace your hearing aid.

Your Hearing Aid Slips or Pops Out

Once you insert your hearing aid's earpiece firmly into your outer ear canal, it should stay put effortlessly until you decide to remove it. If your earpiece keeps slipping or popping out, you probably need a slightly larger one. This same slippage can also contribute to any friction-related feedback you may encounter.

Ask your audiologist to replace your current earpiece with a model that fits more tightly securely in the ear. A custom-molded earpiece provides the most accurate possible fit.

If you experience discomfort, poor performance, or other frustrating issues with your hearing aid, contact Accurate Hearing Technology Inc. We can evaluate the problem and make any needed corrections to help you hear more clearly and comfortably.