Hearing Aid Repair

Hearing Aid Repair

At Hearing Centers of Indiana, we offer professional repair services to get you hearing your best again in the shortest time possible. Hearing aids are sensitive instruments that spend most of their time in the relatively inhospitable environments of our ears, so sometimes they need a little maintenance work to function as intended. Regular cleaning and proper care go a long way, but even the best-maintained hearing aids will likely need repair from time to time.

We offer repair for all the hearing aids we sell and even some that we don’t. We can perform repair work on most types and styles, and diagnose problems with most any hearing aids. We perform most repairs in house, to get you hearing clearly again in no time. In some cases, we may need to send your hearing aids off to the manufacturer. We’ll check them when they return to make sure they’re good as new again.

Any repair we make starts with a thorough cleaning process and a check of all parts of your hearing aids. While hearing aid manufacturers are always trying to eliminate pathways for debris to get to the sensitive components inside a pair of hearing aids, the need for microphones and speakers to be exposed directly to the air means that there can never be a pair of hearing aids that is 100% impervious to earwax and contaminants in the air, at least not with currently available technology.

Earwax and debris always find their way into the nooks and crannies of a pair of hearing aids over time, and the first step to finding out why a set of hearing aids isn’t working properly is to remove all contaminants and check over the parts of the hearing aids once they’re clean. Oftentimes, it is a debris obstruction at the root of the malfunction, or a rusty microphone or speaker.

Daily Maintenance Tips for Your Hearing Aids

  • Remove earwax

    To avoid a temporary malfunction or permanent damage, it is essential to remove earwax from your hearing aid. Try to get the right cleaning equipment for the task, including a soft brush and small picks or loops from your hearing aid provider. Follow the guidelines for the cleaning of your hearing aids from your hearing provider or hearing aid manufacturer.

  • Wipe clean regularly

    Clean your hearing aids with a dry, soft cloth when you remove them at night. Try not to use water, alcohol swabs, or cleaning solvents, as your hearing aids may break down or get damaged.

  • Don't drop your hearing aids

    Your device could be damaged if you drop your hearing aids onto the floor. While you're learning how to install and remove your hearing aids properly, sit on your couch or somewhere else where the hearing aids will be protected if dropped.

  • Store properly

    Protect your hearing aids from heat and moisture when not in use and store them in a dry, cool area of your house. Ask us about a dehumidification box. These boxes are designed to remove moisture, which can corrode sensitive circuitry.

  • Save power

    To conserve battery power when not in use, leave the battery door open.

What is Hearing Loss?

To understand hearing loss, its important to learn how normal hearing works. Sound waves enter the outer ear, and are funneled towards the ear canal. When sounds reach the middle ear, they vibrate against the tympanic membrane, or ear drum. This vibrates the ossicles, three tiny bones in the middle ear that focus and transmit this vibration to the inner ear. The inner ear, or cochlea, is a fluid-filled chamber lined with tiny hair cells that sense the vibration in the fluid, translate these vibrations into electrical signals, and send these signals to your brain. The auditory center in your brain processes these signals, and you experience sound.

Hearing loss can affect any part of this process, and damage in the outer, middle, or inner ear will lead to hearing loss.

Redux 2
Redux 1

Redux

At Hearing Centers of Indiana, we’re the exclusive partner with Redux, a company that offers an innovative new drying process. Regular use of the Redux machine will help you to keep your hearing aids in like-new condition, and is one of the first steps in our repair process.

The Redux machine uses a vacuum process in tandem with low-level heating (safe for all electronic devices) that will effectively remove 100% of moisture in only 15 minutes. It measures the moisture removal throughout the process so we can be sure it has completely dried the device.

Talk to us about bringing your hearing aids in for regular Redux treatment. Some people may benefit from this more than others, but it’s worth discussing how the Redux process could help you keep your hearing aids in their best shape.

Types of Hearing Loss

There are three main types of hearing loss that affect your hearing in different ways.

This hearing loss is the most common form of hearing loss. It can be caused by presbycusis or the natural aging process, as well as by exposure to dangerously loud sounds. In both these cases, the cells in your inner ear are damaged, and your cells can’t detect sound waves, or transmit this information to your brain. With sensorineural hearing loss, you’re more likely to have trouble following speech, struggle with high pitched sounds, and have a hard time hearing in places with a lot of background noise.

How Do I Know Whether My Hearing Aids Need Repair?

If your hearing aids aren’t working, you’re always welcome to bring them in. If you’re not sure whether you need help with them, be sure to look through your owner’s manual to see what maintenance steps or tips may be indicated there. If you feel comfortable performing wax filter changes yourself, this is often a good place to start.

If your hearing aids are visibly damaged, you should definitely bring them in for repair. Even a minor crack in the plastic can allow moisture and fine debris to get inside the unit and cause damage to the sensitive electronics there. If something feels loose that used to be tight, this is another good reason to bring them in. Remember that damage that may seem minor can lead to more catastrophic damage if it is left alone, so it’s best to make repairs as soon as you notice something is wrong, even if your hearing aids still seem to be working.

If you notice any change in the sound quality from your hearing aids, it’s best to bring them in right away. These problems can get worse, and it could be that repairing the problem now will prevent a more difficult repair down the road. Hearing aids bring so many improvements and new possibilities to our lives, and we get the most out of them when they’re working as intended. Take advantage of our repair services as soon as you notice that your hearing aids aren’t working their best, and we’ll make sure to get you hearing clearly again right away.

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