What are the Most Common Hearing Aid Repairs?

Hearing aids are generally reliable devices that will serve you well for years. Occasionally, however, some users can experience problems. In this post, we’re going to look at some of the most common hearing aid repairs and what you can do to fix them. 

Moisture issues inside the case

Audiologists generally recommend that you take steps to avoid exposing your hearing aid to moisture whenever possible. When water collects on the inside of the case, it can lead to corrosion and short circuits.

The best remedy here is prevention. Do not wear your hearing aids in the shower or the sauna as the high levels of humidity can cause condensation to occur on the internal surfaces of the device.

If your device does become damp, take the battery out and leave it in a warm, dry place overnight. 

A damaged earmold

The earmold is the part of the device that fits snugly against the skin of your outer ear. Unfortunately, it can slowly wear down over time and degrade, especially if it is exposed to rapid changes in temperature.

A damaged earmold is problematic because it can make wearing a hearing aid uncomfortable. It can also make it more likely that the device will fall out of the ear. If yours is damaged, then take it along to your audiologist. They can take a mold of your ear, create a new image and then fit it to your existing device. 

Problems with the tube

The tube is the part of the device that runs from the unit that sits behind your ear to the segment in the ear canal. It is meant to be flexible, but it can harden, crack or become blocked over time, just like the other external parts of the device. 

The easiest way to deal with this problem is to replace the tube with a new one approved by the manufacturer. You can do this yourself, or you can take your hearing aid to your audiologist for assistance. 

Problems with the ear hook

Behind-the-ear devices use a component called an ear hook – the part of the hearing aid that clips behind the ear. Many users damage their ear hooks through general wear and tear because the component sticks out from the rest of the device, making it more prone to breakage. 

While you can sometimes fix this problem with superglue, the ear hook is a relatively inexpensive component. It is often more convenient to replace it with another from the manufacturer. 

Broken microphone

The microphone is the component on your hearing aid that collects incoming sounds and then sends them to the onboard speaker unit for amplification. Microphone issues cause your device to sound quieter or not work at all. 

If you think your microphone might be broken, first check that the problem is not a flat battery. If the battery is fine, take your device to your audiologist. While replacing a microphone is difficult, audiologists may be able to fix the issue.