Hearing Aid Care & Maintenance > Troubleshooting

A FEW THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

Testing a Behind-the-Ear hearing aid to ensure that it meets American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Specifications

• No hearing aid can "restore" your hearing to levels that you remember as "normal." Like their name suggests they are hearing "aids."
• Like eyeglasses, hearing aids require an adjustment period. Your brain needs time to re-learn to listen to sounds it has been missing since your hearing decreased. This is normal. The more you wear your hearing aids, the quicker you will adjust. Soon you will not want to leave home without them.
  
• Most hearing aids require minor adjustments during the first month; give-or-take a few days. When you are fitted with your new hearing aids a computer is used to help set the hearing aids for your specific hearing loss. Often, minor re-adjustments are made for fine-tuning.
• At first, your hearing aids will make your own voice sound different. Sometimes minor adjustments can be made to help with the sound of your voice. Again, after a short adjustment period your voice will sound more and more normal.
• Some common sounds will be annoying at first. Examples are the toilet flushing, newspaper rattling and running water. Remember, we all hear these same sounds-even people with normal hearing. People with normal hearing just learn to "tune-them-out." After an adjustment period your brain will once again remember to ignore sounds that you do not want to listen to.

Troubleshooting

Besides periodic checks with your hearing aids, there may be times when you need to check your own hearing aid. Below, we have listed some of the more common problems with possible causes and solutions.

Problem 1. Hearing aid has no sound or weak sound

Cause: Wrong settings
Solution: Check switches/channels

Cause: Wrong size battery
Solution: Change battery.

Cause: Battery upside down
Solution: Make "+" side of battery match the "+" on the battery case

Cause: Weak/Dead battery
Solution: Test the battery and/or replace battery

Cause: Earmold not in ear correctly
Solution: Reposition earmold

Cause: Wax in earmold
Solution: Remove Wax

Cause: Plastic tube bent
Solution: Twist tubing

Cause: Change in hearing
Solution: Must see audiologist

Problem 2. Hearing aid has scratchy sound or goes on and off

Cause: Dirt and dust around volume control
Solution: Wipe aid off with dry cloth, move the volume control gently back
and forth

Cause: Excessive moisture in tube or earmold
Solution: Use hearing aid dryer

Problem 3. Continuous or abnormal feedback (whistling sound). Feedback is the term for the high-pitched whistling sound that is caused by the aid picking up its own signal.

Cause: Microphone covered
Solution. Check that hair, hat or dirt is not covering microphone

Cause: Loose earmold
Solution: Make sure earmold tubing is tightly attached to aid

Cause: Earmold/hearing aid not in correctly
Solution: Earmold/hearing aid should be flush in ear, like a puzzle. Check several times daily

Cause: Earmold too loose
Solution: May need new mold

Cause: Volume control may not be correct
Solution: Correct volume control

Sometimes feedback cannot be avoided so a certain amount is normal

DO NOT TRY TO FIX:
The aid must be evaluated by an audiologist if the following problems occur:

1. Broken parts.
2. Hole in the plastic tube.
3. Old or hard, yellow tubing.
4. Something loose in the hearing aid or FM system.
5. Excessive ear wax.
6. Any mechanical failure