As a parent, you are many things to your child: a chef, a chauffeur, an educator, a friend and more. If you have a child with hearing loss, you’ll also occasionally need to act as their audiologist. Not that you need all the expertise an audiologist has, but you need to ensure your child’s hearing aids are in proper working order before sending them off to schools in Charleston. Below we provide tips for performing a daily listening check as well as some basic troubleshooting tips.
Daily Listening Check
Do the following checks each morning and whenever your child complains they are not able to hear with their hearing aids in:
- Check the hearing aid, tubing and earmold for physical damage. Look for cracks, breaks, water damage and impacted earwax.
- Check the battery using a battery tester. First touch the positive (+) end of the battery to the positive (+) point on the tester, then touch the negative (-) end of the battery to the negative (-) point on the tester. The battery tester will tell you whether the battery is good or if it needs to be replaced.
- Listen to the hearing aids using a listening scope. First, turn the hearing aid on by closing the battery door. Then place your earmold into the bell end and the other end in your ear. Listen to the sounds around you, then to your own voice as you say the Ling Six Sounds (ah, ee, oo, mm, sh, ss). The sounds should be clear.
Troubleshooting Basic Problems
Are you or your child experiencing any of the following problems with the hearing aids?
- If the hearing aid is not making sound with the battery door closed, check the earmold, tubing and ear hook for damage, or change the battery.
- If the hearing aid volume is weak, check the earmold, tubing and ear hook for blockages, or change the battery.
- If the sound from the hearing aid cuts in and out, check the battery compartment for damage or dirt, check for a blockage or moisture in the tubing and earmold, or change the battery.
- If the hearing aid is distorted or there is a static sound, check the battery compartment for damage or dirt, check the ear hook for damage, or change the battery.
- If the Ling Six Sounds are not clear, check the battery compartment for damage or dirt, check the earmold for blockage, check the ear hook for damage, or change the battery.
- If the hearing aid is producing other sounds, check the earmold to ensure it’s in correctly, check the earmold and tubing for cracks, and ensure the ear hook is on tight.
For more information on possible hearing aid repairs or to schedule an appointment, call Charleston ENT & Allergy today.