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Hearing Aid Maintenance & Repairs
It is important that your hearing devices function properly for as long as possible. Nobody wants to invest in something that always has to be sent away to the lab for repairs for any period of time. That is why we have the ability to repair your devices onsite. Hearing aids are powerful devices that consist of many tiny sophisticated parts and perform numerous algorithmic functions (think machinery + computers working together) - but the reality is that sometimes they fail.
Regular maintenance of your hearing aids will prevent the need for frequent repair service and provide you with years of reliable hearing. Onsite "walk-in" hearing aid maintenance is something we provide free of charge at Eastside Audiology for all hearing aids we dispense. We highly recommend taking advantage of this service. It will extend the life of your devices!
Onsite Hearing Aid Repairs
Should your hearing aid fail, or stop working for any reason, it can often be repaired here at Eastside Audiology & Rehabilitation. If your hearing aid cannot be repaired onsite, it may need to be sent out for repair to the manufacturer. Manufacturer repairs can take anywhere between five to ten business days to receive back from the lab. These repairs may be covered by your hearing aid warranty but if the warranty has expired, there may be a service fee for the repair. Fees vary depending on the manufacturer.
...and yes, we can always look at hearing aids purchased from other clinics.
Sometimes when they can't fix it - we can!
Body Chemistry
Did you know that your body chemistry can affect how long your hearing aids last?
Yup. It’s true.
In layman’s terms - as we are definitely not endocrinologists - “body chemistry” is a catch-all phrase that we at Eastside Audiology & Rehabilitation Inc. use to lump together the body’s hormonal changes as it relates to the functionality of a hearing aid. These hormonal changes initiate in the endocrine system. The endocrine system consists of a group of glands and organs that regulate and control various body functions by producing and secreting hormones. Hormones are chemical substances that affect the activity of another part of the body. In essence, hormones serve as messengers, controlling and coordinating activities throughout the body. Or to put it simply: the things that make, control, and regulate fun stuff such as ear wax, body odour, sweat, skin oils, etc.
The sweat, earwax production and oils that your skin produces can vary wildly from patient to patient (and sometimes from ear to ear), and that production wreaks havoc on wearable devices like hearing aids. And it is that body chemistry that can cause the plastic and silicone parts of a hearing aid to break down or wear out faster than they did in the past.
Additionally, our hormone production changes as we age. Aging can cause an endocrine tissue to produce less of its hormone than it did at a younger age, or it may produce the same amount at a slower rate. For women, the most common consequence of aging-related hormonal changes is menopause. While levels of most hormones usually decrease with aging, some hormones remain at levels typical of those in younger adults, but some increase. It’s usually those increasing ones that affect hearing aids the most.
*elements from United States National Library of Medicine www.nlm.nih.gov and
William F. Young, Jr, MD, MSc, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Effects of Aging on the Endocrine System, www.merckmanuals.com
Body Chemistry Issues
Below are examples of "body chemistry" issues from actual patients. Please note that every single one of these patients said that they had been "cleaning" their hearing aids. We use these examples for educational purposes to illustrate the differences between what a patient cleaning looks like, and what a professional clean & check looks like.
Side Note: aid was still functioning
Side Note: bubble formed after putting aids in immediately after patient had shower
pic 4 of 4
Side Note: aid was still functioning
Thing That Make You Go Hmmm...
At the end of the day, all hearing devices are the property of the patient that purchases them. They are your units to do with as you please. We’ve seen hearing devices come in with all manner of “accoutrements” such as different colours, stickers, jewelry add-ons, and clips or safe lines for loss prevention, etc.
And we absolutely LOVE seeing how creative people can be!
However, if you choose to add something physical, or do something physical to the hearing aids, maybe contact us first to make sure that what you do will not affect the functionality of the hearing aid. Also, if it’s a repair - just be honest about what happened. Hearing aids are stress tested to survive falls, submersion, etc. If you tell us that you just “dropped it” but really it was stepped on, we probably already know.
No judgment - but be honest. Let’s save everybody some time here 😊
DIAGNOSIS: Three Mic Ports & Battery Door Glued Shut CONFESSION: "I put a dab of glue on it cause 'the thing' was loose"
DIAGNOSIS: Shell & Faceplate crushed. Teeth marks visible CONFESSION: "It was only in my dog's mouth for a second"
DIAGNOSIS: Metal Wire Drilled Through Microphone Port. Damage to Microphone CONFESSION: "I drilled a larger hole in the top of the hearing aid and put wire in it so I could hang it on my glasses"
DIAGNOSIS: Three Mic Ports & Battery Door Glued Shut CONFESSION: "I put a dab of glue on it cause 'the thing' was loose"
Finally (it merits repeating): regular maintenance of your hearing aids (both professionally and by the patient) will prevent the need for frequent out of office repairs, and will provide you with years of reliable hearing.
Onsite "walk-in" hearing aid maintenance is something we provide free of charge at Eastside Audiology & Rehabilitation Inc. for all hearing aids we dispense.
We highly recommend taking advantage of this service.
It will extend the life of your devices!