| Although there are some times when the hearing aid will need
to go into a hearing aid repair shop, there are some common issues that
can be solved by the individual at home. There are specialized hearing aid
repair shops, such as Phonak or Beltone, which typically work on their own
brand of hearing aids. Other hearing aid repair shops will work on a
multitude of hearing aids, regardless of brand or type. There are certain
problems that will occur more often with completely in the ear canal
hearing aids versus the behind the ear hearing aids, as well as
differences between the analog hearing aids and the digital hearing aids.
Tips
Rather than take that hearing aid into a hearing aid repair shop every
time that there is some difficulty with it, there are some tips to try at
home first. If the hearing aid does not work at all, it is possible that
the battery has died or that it was not inserted properly into the device.
It is a good idea to have a battery tester, which can usually be obtained
for about ten dollars, so that the battery can be checked to see if it
still has any power in it. Another problem might be that the hearing aid
has been turned off, causing it not to work, or that the ear mold and
receiver tube is blocked. If the tube is blocked, it can be cleaned
according to the instructions that come with the hearing aid.
If the hearing aid only works off and on, some of the same issues
mentioned above can be checked before taking it into a hearing aid repair
shop. In addition, there may be a problem with excess ear wax in the ear
canal which a doctor can remove. If these tips have been tried and the
device is still only working on an intermittent basis, then it should be
taken to a hearing aid repair shop to be checked and fixed.
Another common problem is that the amplification of the device is not
correct, coming through in a weak way or having a lot of distortion.
Again, there may be a problem with the battery, the ear tub might be
blocked, or there might be wax in the ear canal that is causing the
problem. There also might be a change in the individual's hearing, so they
should go to the doctor to have it checked. If these measures have been
tried, then the individual should take the device to a hearing aid repair
shop to have it looked at and fixed.
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