Life can be stressful, and certainly the past few weeks have placed us in a situation that we were not prepared for. Anxiety is heightened and many of us are worried about the health of our families, our businesses, and the economy. The list is long and the last thing a hearing aid wearer needs is a malfunctioning device.

Normally when this happens, you can call the Audiologist and schedule an appointment to be seen in person. Unfortunately, with the current restrictions in place, this isn’t possible. Thankfully there are a few things you can try at home.

Here are some tricks and tips:

1. Make sure that the battery is good. Try a battery from a different package or the battery from a device that is working.
2. If your hearing aid has an earmold, make sure it is clean. Wax or debris can block the transmission of sound. Soak the earmold in water, blow through the tube and make sure that the tube is dry before attaching it to your hearing aid.
3. A custom molded hearing aid may have removable filters or microphone covers which can be replaced. If you know where the microphones are, brush them gently using a soft toothbrush.
4. If your hearing aid uses replacement domes and you have a supply at home, replace the dome along with the filter underneath.
5. Check YouTube for instructional videos. There are countless videos that can guide you step by step.

Also, just because you can’t get in to see an audiologist in person doesn’t mean that we aren’t here to help you. The good news is that most Audiologists can walk you through troubleshooting and help you through video conferencing.

Remember, you are not alone. We are answering phone calls and navigating through this unprecedented time. Call us or email us. We’re here for you and we’ll be happy to have a conversation.