{"id":316,"date":"2025-09-01T10:38:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-01T09:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/audiology\/?page_id=316"},"modified":"2025-09-01T10:38:59","modified_gmt":"2025-09-01T09:38:59","slug":"hearing-aid-troubleshooting","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/audiology\/hearing-aids\/hearing-aid-troubleshooting\/","title":{"rendered":"Hearing Aid Not Working?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Below is a guide to troubleshooting some common problems with hearing aids. <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">My hearing aid is whistling<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Please check that:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ear mould is fitted correctly in your ear <em>(a loose fitting mould can cause whistling)<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tubing has no cracks <em>(sound leaking out can cause whistling)<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tubing has no wax <em>(use a cleaning wire if needed)<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Your hearing aid is not completely covered <em>(by hats or scarves etc)<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Your hearing aid is not on a loop setting<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You do not have wax blocking your ears <em>(your GP can check this)<\/em>. Wax is a common reason for hearing aids to whistle<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">My hearing aid is too quiet<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Please check that:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Hearing aid microphones are not blocked by ear wax or other debris<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tubing has no cracks, wax blockage, or moisture <em>(even a small amount of buildup can affect sound)<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Volume control on your hearing aid is not turned down low by mistake<em> (some hearing aids may not have a volume control)<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hearing aid is on the correct setting<em> (some hearing aids have a push button for switching programs- e.g. loop system)<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">My hearing&nbsp;aid&nbsp;does not work (no sound)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Please check that:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The hearing aid is on <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>There is a new battery inserted<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tubing and ear mould is not damaged or blocked with ear wax<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tube is clear of water droplets<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hearing aid is on the standard program. Turn the aid on and off to restart (it will default to the standard program)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">My hearing&nbsp;aid&nbsp;sounds distorted<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Distorted sounds can be described as sounds that seem to rattle or vibrate. A common cause of distortion is damaged battery contacts or corroded batteries.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><li>Remove the battery out of the compartment and check for any residue from corrosion. Clean it out very carefully and insert a new battery.\u00a0<\/li><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><li>Check the battery compartment and ensure that it is not bent in any way. If the battery contacts are not lined up properly, this could cause distortion.\u00a0<\/li><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Contact us for a repair appointment if necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to clean your hearing aid<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Although hearing aids are designed to be durable, you should try to clean them everyday to prevent them from breaking down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Do everyday:<\/strong>\u00a0Wipe down the entire hearing aid gently with a soft, dry cloth. If you have an earmould, you may use an alcohol-free cleaner to clean the earmould.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Do this every 6-9 months<\/strong>: Replace the tubing on your hearing aid every 6-9 months, as they can become brittle or damaged.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Do this when you see wax in slimtube<\/strong>: Detach the slimtube from the hearing aid and push the cleaning wire through the entire tube. Click on the link below to find out more information on how to use a cleaning wire.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-alert-red-color has-text-color\"><em>Always keep your hearing aids in a dry and safe place, away from pets and children.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull lightbluegroup\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading alignfull has-text-align-center colourtextbold\"> Common Problems <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignwide is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column plaintext is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-light-accent-green-background-color has-background\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Needs retube<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Over time, the tube on your hearing aid will harden and to discolour. This reduces the quality of sound. It is advised to get your hearing aid retubed every 6-9 months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Unable to hear on the phone<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Hold the phone behind your ear. You should direct the phones&#8217; speaker to the hearing aid microphones. Do not hold it toward your ear canal, as the sounds you hear have to go through the microphones first in order to be amplified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Hearing aid got wet<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Remove the hearing aid from water as quickly as possible. Remove the battery and dry the hearing aid gently with a towel. Shake it gently to get the water out. Do not put your hearing aid into the microwave or oven, as this could damage the aid.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignwide is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\"><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Below is a guide to troubleshooting some common problems with hearing aids. My hearing aid is whistling Please check that:&nbsp; My hearing aid is too quiet Please check that:&nbsp; My hearing&nbsp;aid&nbsp;does not work (no sound) Please check that:&nbsp; My hearing&nbsp;aid&nbsp;sounds distorted Distorted sounds can be described as sounds that seem to rattle or vibrate. A<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":292,"menu_order":1,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"class_list":["post-316","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"rttpg_featured_image_url":null,"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"","author_link":"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/audiology\/author\/"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":false,"rttpg_excerpt":"Below is a guide to troubleshooting some common problems with hearing aids. My hearing aid is whistling Please check that:&nbsp; My hearing aid is too quiet Please check that:&nbsp; My hearing&nbsp;aid&nbsp;does not work (no sound) Please check that:&nbsp; My hearing&nbsp;aid&nbsp;sounds distorted Distorted sounds can be described as sounds that seem to rattle or vibrate. A","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/audiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/316","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/audiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/audiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/audiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/audiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=316"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/audiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/316\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1145,"href":"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/audiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/316\/revisions\/1145"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/audiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/292"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/audiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=316"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/audiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=316"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}