04/10/2022
Ever wondered why you can't hear well with your hearing aids?
There’s a few reasons why you may not be hearing well with your hearing aids, read through for a guide on what you can do!
1. Wax / dust
The number one reason that affects hearing aids is wax! We need to keep both the microphone and receivers (speakers) clean and clear.
Receiver In Canal (RIC) hearing aids: you will need to pull off the dome first to inspect the filter.
Custom hearing aids: check the white rim at the end of the sound outlet.
Behind The Ear (BTE) hearing aids: do not have wax filters, but the tubing can be blocked with wax as well
• For thin tubes - unscrew the thin tubes and pull the cleaning wire through.
• For standard tubes, detach the mould from the hearing aid and pull a pipe cleaner through.
Alternatively, if you have a hard acrylic mould, you can soak it in hot water and blow air through to clear any wax in the tubing.
Another thing to keep clean is the hearing aid microphones, this is where sound is picked up.
For BTE and RIC hearing aids, the microphone are located on top of the hearing aid and can be brushed gently with your hearing aid brush.
For custom hearing aids, the microphones are located on the faceplate of the hearing aid. Brush gently with hearing aid brush.
2. Incorrect coupling
For optimum sound delivery, your hearing aids need to be coupled correctly to the right mould/dome. This is like putting the right tyres onto your car!
This is a very important factor and will affect the hearing aids functionality.
The coupling may be suboptimal If you experience the following from your aids:
- excessive whistling / feedback
- hearing aids not staying in your ears
3. Tuning
After ensuring the above points have been addressed then we can tune the hearing aids using Real Ear Measures (REMs) to assist you to hear better.
REMs is when we place a microphone in your ears to measure what you are hearing from the hearing aid. We then play a passage through our speakers, and then adjust the hearing aids so it matches your prescription. Further fine adjustments are based on your feedback.
Do you find any of the above helpful? Or still need to come in and see someone?
Phone now and book in to a clinic near you
Papakura 09 296 8492
Pukekohe 09 239 2687
Waiheke 09 372 9999
Cambridge 07 823 2687
Te Awamutu 07 870 2687
