When something breaks or stops working as it should, whether it’s your car, bike, laptop or hearing aids, you need to decide whether it’s something you can fix at home or something a professional should handle. When it comes to hearing aids, there are a few issues you can easily troubleshoot at home. Let’s look at them below and examine when it’s time to see a professional.
Feedback
Feedback is a high-pitched, whistling noise your hearing aids emit when the sound you play feeds back into the microphone. Most new hearing aids will come with feedback suppressors that help cut down on the frequency of feedback, but you might still get the occasional bout of it.
Try the following things to stop feedback in its tracks:
- Remove and reinsert your hearing aid; pay special attention to proper positioning
- Clean the microphone and speaker to remove wax
- Lower the volume
- Reposition the earmold if applicable
If the above tips don’t resolve feedback, call us for an ear exam and device check. It’s possible that sound is bouncing off an earwax impaction, and you need a professional earwax removal.
Odd or Muffled Sound
Things that fall under the category of “odd sounds” may include unusually sharp, crackly or unclear audio. Things that cause odd sounds may also lead to low or no volume. A few common causes of sound issues include earwax buildup, moisture, physical damage, low battery levels and programming issues.
Try the following to improve your hearing aid sound:
- Thoroughly clean your hearing aids using their cleaning kit
- Place your devices in a specialty electric dehumidifier or drying jar
- Check the programming using the companion app; adjust as needed
- Double-check the battery life and charge or replace batteries as needed
- Inspect your devices for signs of physical damage, like cracks or loose tubing
If you’re dealing with constant feedback or odd or muffled sound and the above troubleshooting tips don’t resolve the issue, contact ENT Specialists Of Northern Virginia to schedule a service appointment with one of our specialists. We can clean your devices, check their programming and fix minor issues in the office. We may need to send your devices to the manufacturer for more in-depth repairs.