Most Common Hearing Aid Issues

When you start to notice a decline in your hearing, you may consider getting your hearing tested. An inability to hear clearly is not always easy to handle, but when you have the help of hearing aids and an audiologist, you can be sure that you are getting the right support for your hearing.

Hearing aids can bring you a massive amount of improvement in your life, from hearing better to the world around you, to being able to function in social circles once again. The thing is, hearing aids aren't always foolproof and there are common problems that many hearing aid users will face when they are using these machines.

Issues occur with most new technological devices, and medical devices like hearing aids are no different. An audiologist should be able to walk you through the different types of hearing aids out there, and they will be able to help you out if there are any problems with the ones that you are using, too. If you are a new user of a hearing aid, the best thing that you can do is to be informed on the common issues that most new hearing aid users will face at least once. Let's take a look:

You can't hear anything

The whole point of hearing aids is that they amplify your hearing and allow you to hear sounds that you wouldn't otherwise hear. If you have a new hearing aid fitted, your audiologist should be able to help you with wearing it and show you how to clean and use it. However, if your hearing aids suddenly stop emitting any sound in your ear, there's a problem.

The whole point of a hearing aid is to enable you to hear sound, but there are a few reasons you could be facing this issue. Sometimes, the device is turned off without you knowing about it, and that does happen because it takes time to get used to hearing aids and how to make them work. If you forget to switch it off from time to time, it's natural that this should happen.

All you need to do is switch it back on in this case and you should get it back right away. Another issue is the volume being muted without your knowledge. Lastly, the battery could be dead – and that's a common cause for no sound coming through your hearing aid.

Sound is uncomfortable

If you're putting on your hearing aids and you have piercing sounds coming through them that hurt your ears, you're going to find it better to take them out and troubleshoot! You should make sure that your hearing aids are set to the correct volume and program and if yours isn't set to the right program, it could be emitting a noise that hurts your inner ears.

Resetting it should fix the issue pretty quickly. If the program isn't an issue, you should check if there is dirt, debris or wax blocking your hearing aid microphone or tube. If so, clean them out as your audiologist instructed you to do and you'll prevent this issue from continuing to occur.

If there is moisture in the hearing aid, you need to dry this out and a dehumidifier will help you here. You can also get your ears checked to see if the blockage is in the inner ear itself. Your audiologist should be able to help you out if you've tried all of these and nothing helps!

Feedback

Whistling and feedback over your hearing aids may be an issue and if that's happening to you, check to ensure the fit of your hearing aid and that it's dry and intact as it should be. Check for any damage and cracks in the ear hooks and you can ensure that your hearing aids are working the way that they're supposed to.

Discomfort

If your hearing aids don't fit your ears properly, then there was an issue at your original fitting. Your audiologist should be able to help you to get it re-fitted and ensure that you are wearing the right hearing aids in the first place. Some hearing aids are required to be worn behind the ears, and others require you to wear them in the ear canal.

Still struggling?

If you are still having issues with your hearing aids, speak to the experts at Audiology Associates today at 573-332-7000. You can have your hearing aids checked and diagnosed with whatever the issue is. We'll talk you through any issues you may be having and get your hearing aids back on track.