With the lifespan of hearing aids hovering around five to seven years, many people experience problems as their devices age. If you have hearing aids, and if you experience any of these problems, then it may be necessary for you to get them resolved quickly to resume optimal hearing aid performance. Here are some of the most common hearing aid issues to watch out for.

1. Blocked tubing

This issue only happens with hearing aids that have tubes. Tubes can get blocked by earwax, moisture and debris. If the tube on your hearing aid gets blocked, then sound will not be able to be heard properly when you are wearing your hearing aids. To fix this problem, you will need to remove the blockage from the tubing. If you clean the tubing and still experience issues, visit your audiologist to have them professionally cleaned.

2. No sound

Occasionally, hearing aids will stop producing sound. If this is happening to your hearing aids, there could be a few easy ways to resolve the problem. First, your hearing aids may be turned off. Second, your hearing aid volume may be set very low. Third, you may have adjusted the telecoil switch in a way that is impacting sound. Finally, your batteries may be drained. You should check all of these things first. If one of them is the issue, then fixing it will return the volume levels to normal. However, if not, then the issue may be more serious, and it may be time for you to consult your audiologist about the problem.

3. Feedback or whistling noises

These issues can be particularly annoying to deal with. This is because hearing sharp feedback noises or whistling noises in your ear is not exactly pleasant. If you are hearing feedback or whistling noises while you wear your hearing aids, then there is a good chance that the issue could be caused by a bad fit or accidentally inserting your hearing aids incorrectly. It could also be caused by a buildup of earwax on your device. So, you should check these things to see if this is what is causing the issue.

If you try these simple fixes and your hearing aids are still not functioning properly, schedule an appointment with your audiologist. Your hearing aids may require repairs and should be evaluated by a professional.