When Your Hearing Aid Needs a Repair

Just like any other device with electrical components, hearing aids will occasionally need to be repaired or replaced, but they will also stop working for other reasons. Before scheduling a visit to a hearing healthcare professional, do some troubleshooting to save time and embarrassment. These are the top two things to do when your hearing aid won’t work:

• Clean and dry it thoroughly. Sometimes wax, dirt or moisture can interfere with a hearing aid’s reception or amplification of sound.
• Check and replace the battery. Batteries are the most common reason hearing aids stop working, so try this before assuming another problem.

If the hearing aid hasn’t stopped working, but is instead giving feedback or fading in and out, it probably needs more than just a cleaning or battery replacement. After following the previous steps, don’t hesitate to visit a hearing healthcare professional for a diagnosis.

In-office repairs

Many hearing aid repairs are simple and easily completed in one visit to the office. Examples of simple problems easily completed in one visit include the following:

• Deep cleaning. Sometimes a home cleaning won’t be enough to dislodge stubborn wax or dirt interfering with your hearing aid’s functions.
• Repairing the battery door. This is a simple, but important quick fix you can’t do yourself.
• Reprogramming. Many newer models require in-office programming adjustments.
• Replacing earbuds or tubes. Structural damages that interfere with how the hearing aid works are often as simple as replacing the damaged part.

If your hearing aid is only one or two years old, it will probably be under its original warranty, and the cost for repair or replacement may be covered. You may have also purchased an extended warranty. Even if the hearing aid is no longer warrantied, many simple repairs will only require a small fee. If the hearing aid is not repairable, the good news is that a replacement will come with a new warranty for future security. Many hearing healthcare professionals offer pay-as-you-go and other financing options to offset the cost of a hearing aid since most insurance companies only cover testing and diagnosis.

Out-of-office repairs

If your hearing aid needs a more complex repair or has an issue the hearing healthcare professional is unprepared to tackle, it will be sent it out to the manufacturer. Meanwhile, they’ll be more than happy to do everything possible to help meet your hearing needs during the interim.

Don’t despair if your hearing aid needs a repair – visit your hearing professional and get it taken care of right away.