Understanding Hearing Aid Repairs

The day is inevitable: one morning, you put your hearing aids in and they don’t work. The sound is gone or there’s intermittent noise or static. Just like any technology these days, hearing aids, despite their advancements in technology, are bound to malfunction. Before panicking about the cost of and time of repairs, consider trying some of these at-home troubleshooting tips to help determine what’s going on with your hearing aids.

Troubleshooting at home

Looking into the cause of the hearing aid malfunction at home can save you time and money. Of course, troubleshooting at home doesn’t mean taking out tiny tools and cracking open your hearing aids to poke around inside.

Common troubleshooting solutions include:

• Checking or replacing the battery
• Thoroughly cleaning all components of the hearing aid, including the shell, microphone port and tubing
• Making sure the hearing aid is turned on
• Checking the volume of the hearing aid is at an appropriate level
• If the hearing aids were subject to moisture, place them in a drying container
• Clean your ears to make sure the hearing aids have a good fit

If the troubleshooting doesn’t fix the problem, you may need to make an appointment with your audiologist. At the appointment, they will be able to diagnose the malfunction and determine whether repair or replacement is the best option.

When hearing aids need repair

If your hearing aids can be repaired, there are a few options to help keep your costs at bay. Make sure to check any manufacturer’s warranty on your hearing aids to see if repairs are covered. Likewise, if you have insurance on your hearing aids, find the policy to learn what maintenance repair may be covered by your insurance and

If you’re on the hook completely for the cost of your repair, talk to your audiologist about estimates so you can shop around for repair prices. Additionally, they may provide payment plan options to help ease the burden of your repairs.

Hearing aid repairs can be troublesome, but should be handled quickly to preserve the functionality of your devices. Most audiologists offer on-site hearing aid repairs for minor issues, which means you won’t have to be without your devices for long. In the event your hearing aids have faced major damage or destruction, they will more than likely be sent to the manufacturer to be fixed. Talk with your audiologist about what you can expect during the hearing aid repair period.