What to Do if Your Hearing Aid is Too Quiet

Those who wear hearing aids know of the frustration and annoyance when something is not quite right with their device. After all, they very quickly become an essential part of your life, allowing you to communicate with the people that you love and live your day-to-day life. While modern hearing aids are robust and not likely to fail often, they are complex pieces of electronic equipment and occasionally, they will need troubleshooting or repairing. When this is the case, most hearing aid users would rather see if they can get to the bottom of the issue themselves and fix it rather than be backward and forwards to their audiologist, for what is often a simple device repair.

One of the most frequently experienced issues with a hearing aid is that it is too quiet. Here, we will look at some of the things that you can do if you are having this problem. 

Hearing Aids 

First things first, are your hearing aids working? If they are, but they are muffled or quieter than usual, there is a good chance that there is a build-up of ear wax on the microphone or the earmold of the hearing aid. Take them out and give them a really good clean. As well as collecting earwax because of where they are situated, hearing aids also collect and hold dust and debris as well as moisture. Giving them a thorough clean can often solve the issue. Try to do this every morning before you put them in or every night when you take them out. Do it over a soft surface or while you are sitting down so that you do not drop them from a height onto a hard surface and break them further.

Do not be tempted to use any water or cleaning chemicals on your hearing aids, as this can cause greater and often irreparable damage. Instead, give them a gentle wipe over with a clean, dry cloth – or ask your audiologist for advice on how to clean them properly. 

Earwax Build-up

If you are using a behind-the-ear model and your ears are producing a lot of wax, you can remove the earmolds and wash them in warm water with a mild soap. Rinse them properly and allow them to dry completely before reassembling them. Never submerge your hearing aids in water.

Damage or moisture in the tubing could also be to blame for the low volume. Examine them carefully for any cracks or tears that could be causing the sound to be siphoned away from your ears. If there is any visible damage, they will need repairing by our audiologist. Depending on the level of damage, they may be fixed there and then or sent off to the manufacturer. 

If none of these methods for increasing the volume of your hearing aid have worked and the batteries do not need replacing, it may well be that your hearing has changed and you will need another hearing test to determine whether you need a new hearing aid.