Hearing aids are a common instrument used to deal with hearing loss. However, they’re not perfect and will occasionally need repairs and maintenance – especially if you use them on a regular basis and haven’t replaced or gotten new ones for a while. If you believe your hearing aids might need to be repaired or if you have concerns that you want to ask your audiologist, consider the following frequently asked questions to help answer some of your queries.

How do I balance repairing my hearing aid and replacing it?

There is generally no need to replace a hearing aid over repairing it unless it comes with a different fit or software that you want to utilize. Unfortunately, there’s no real answer to this because it depends on how frequently you use it, how quickly the speaker fills with earwax and also your lifestyle. There’s always the possibility that getting a new hearing aid could improve your experience, but the general rule of thumb to stick with is that if your hearing aids aren’t suffering from any glaring issues, then you can stick with them. If, however, your hearing aids are causing issues, then you may want to take them to a hearing aid repair expert first before you end up replacing them.

Can I keep my hearing aid profiles and preferences after a repair?

Yes. Most of the time, a repair does not involve touching the programmable aspects of a hearing aid, so all of your profiles and preferences will be kept intact. However, if the audiologist deems it necessary to change a setting or to make modifications that affect the programmable settings, then you will be notified first.

When should I replace my hearing aid batteries?

Visually inspect your hearing aids to ensure that the batteries are inserted properly, they aren’t damaged and the compartment itself is free of any issues. If it’s clear that there is no damage, then you can replace the battery. How often to replace them will be determined by how often you use your hearing aids, the size and power of it and also the features you use. It’s best to speak with your audiologist and ask them personally about when and how you should replace your batteries.

Is my hearing aid too old to be worth replacing?

Most hearing aids can be repaired without much difficulty. Even if your model is old, there’s a good chance that it can be fixed and that the problems can be sorted. This means that no hearing aid is too old and can’t be repaired. The only time you should consider replacing a hearing aid is if your current one cannot be fixed (a rare occurrence) or if you want to make use of newer features in modern hearing aids.

Hearing aids are highly advanced pieces of technology, so it’s always ideal to get the assistance of an audiologist to help when repairs are needed. Your audiologist will advise you on the best method for repairs, or, if replacement is necessary, the selection of a new device.