My Hearing Aid Quit Working

It can be very frustrating when your hearing aid quits and stops working. It usually happens during an important meeting, or on the weekend, or right before a big trip. There are many reasons why a hearing aid can stop working and there are a few things you can try at home before calling your Audiology Clinic.

1. Wax Guard Plugged? This is a very common reason why your hearing aid seems to be broken. If your wax guard, the little white circular screen on the end of your hearing aid, is plugged up then the sound can not come out of your hearing aid. In your hearing aid kit, you should have a package of extra filters. Try changing the filter. There are many youtube videos on how to do so depending on what type of aid you have.
2. Battery Dead? Sometimes hearing aids can “eat” batteries. No they don’t go for lunch but they can create a big battery drain and kill the battery. Try a new battery. Remove the tab from the battery and let it sit on the table for a few minutes to get fully charged. Most hearing aid batteries these days are air activated so it does take a few minutes to fully charge. Purchasing a battery tester is very helpful in these situations so you are not going through so many batteries when trying to figure out the problem. Make sure the battery has been inserted properly. There is a positive and negative side. Also check that you have the correct size of battery.
3. Moisture damage? Sometimes when moisture builds up inside the aid from sweat it can create havoc with your hearing aid. A lot of my clients have jumped into the shower or pool at least once with their hearing aids on. Don’t get me started on the washing machine! Yes, moisture damage can happen. Ask your Audiology clinic for a Dry Aid kit. This little jar or box sucks out the moisture from your hearing aid and will make it last longer. This is a more preventative approach to controlling moisture, but if you are guilty of showering with your hearing aids on then the best approach is to quickly dry them off, open the battery door, put them on a sunny windowsill or in a bag of rice for a day. If this doesn’t revive them then bring them into the clinic.
4. Microphone plugged? There are little holes on your hearing aid where the sounds from your environment enter the hearing aid. These can get plugged by dust, dirt, oils from your hands and many more types of debris. If you work or play in a dusty environment then this may be the culprit. We tell our clients to get a new toothbrush and brush the dickens out of your aids. Concentrate on those little holes that you see.
5. On/off switch? Try turning your aid on and off again. Wait a few seconds to see if it comes back to life. Sometimes the battery connections get loose or don’t connect. Some of the older type of hearing aids actually have on On/Off switch.
6. Volume turned down? Most hearing aids reset when you open and close the battery but some do not. In some cases, the volume may have been decreased by accident. Try adjusting your volume to see if that helps.
7. Tube plugged? Behind-The-Ear style hearing aids have an ear-mold attached by a plastic tube. This tube can get moisture accumulation inside or wax build up which can stop the sound waves travelling through the tube. Disconnect the tube from the ear-hook on the hearing aid. Use a little blower to blow out the moisture or wax then reattach to the hook.

I hope these little tips can help you kickstart your hearing aid again! If not, call us for more help! 

Woodstock – 506.328.8723

Grand Falls – 506.473.8702