If you damage your hearing aids, you might think about getting repairs. By paying for repairs, you can make sure that your hearing aids are working effectively once more and that they give you the quality of life you want. However, before scheduling and appointment with your audiologist, there are four simple things you can check to ensure you’ve done everything you could prior to your visit.

Charging the batteries

If your hearing aid is losing power or won’t come on, the first thing to check are the batteries. This process will differ depending on your particular device. If your hearing aid uses rechargeable batteries, make sure to give them ample time to charge fully. If your device uses disposable batteries, place a fresh pair in and see if that solves the problem.

Wax build-up

Certain hearing aid styles have plastic tubes that connect the two parts of the device. If that’s the case, then it is possible for wax to build up inside the tube. Don’t forget, your ear is self-cleaning and naturally pushes out dirt and other debris through the canal using earwax. If you have particularly waxy ears, you might find that it clogs up your hearing aid. You can fix this issue by making sure that you clean out the hearing aid with a damp cloth. Remember, you must be careful when cleaning the device. Any mistake and you could risk damaging it further.

Wrong setting

Modern hearing aids have multiple settings that you can choose between. The idea is that you’ll be able to get the right setting for the specific environment that you might be in. For instance, in a louder environment, you may want a louder setting on your device. If you forget to switch the setting back when you change environments it can seem as though the hearing aids aren’t working at all which is an issue.

Your hearing has changed

Finally, it might not be an issue with the device at all. Instead, it could be a problem with your hearing. As you get older, it’s possible that your hearing loss can increase and your needs will be different. If that happens, then you may need to update your hearing aid settings or the fitting to ensure your device is working properly.