From time to time hearing aid wearers will face the issue of their hearing device not working. There are a number of reasons why your hearing aid may have stopped working and a number of things you can do to troubleshoot the problem.

Reset – Firstly, you can try resetting the device by opening and closing the battery door. If your hearing aid has volume control buttons, it may be possible the volume has been accidentally turned down. Resetting the device will change the volume back to the default volume it has been programmed with.

Wax blockage – As you wear your hearing aid, wax from inside your ear can build up on and inside parts of your hearing device, blocking the sound from travelling to your ear. To remove wax from your hearing aid, you can use the cleaning tools provided by your practitioner, or a toothbrush to carefully dislodge the wax from your hearing device.

If your hearing aid has filters you should also replace these as they can sometimes become blocked with wax. Some types of hearing aids may need re-tubing if the wax cannot be dislodged using cleaning tools. This can easily be done by a staff member at your hearing clinic.

Battery – A very common reason why hearing aids stop working is the battery. If this is the problem, putting a new battery in your device will usually solve the issue. Before inserting the battery into the battery door, make sure the battery is new out of the packet and has not had the sticker removed already. Peel the sticker off the new battery, insert the battery with the correct side facing down and firmly close the battery door.

Damage – Every now and then a hearing aid will become damaged. In this case you will need to bring your hearing aid in to your hearing aid provider. Your provider may then send your hearing device to the manufacturer to be repaired.