Hearing Aids Sitting in a Drawer? Don't Give Up Yet

"I spent thousands on these, and now they're in a drawer."

I hear that all the time. Most of the time the hearing aids aren't the real problem. Something has drifted since they were fitted, and nobody has gone back to check.

Before you give up on them, these are the three things I look at first.

1. An updated hearing test

Hearing changes over time. If your aids were programmed from a test done three or four years ago, they are set for ears you don't have anymore. A new test tells me whether the settings still match your hearing loss.

2. The programming

Aids that sound tinny, too loud, or full of background noise can usually be adjusted. At the fitting I measure what the hearing aid is actually doing while it's in your ear, and I can do the same again now.

3. A proper cleaning

Wax and moisture build up in the microphones and the receivers. A plugged wax guard alone can make a hearing aid sound weak or dead. Sometimes changing the wax guards is the whole fix.

When it really is time to replace them

Hearing aids don't last forever. If yours are seven or eight years old, the parts may simply be worn out, and I'll tell you that straight. If you're a veteran or on BC Income Assistance, you may also have funding for new aids that you haven't used.

Let me take a look first

I bring the whole clinic to your kitchen table: the hearing test, the adjustments, the cleaning and the follow-up. I cover West Kelowna, Kelowna, Peachland, Summerland and Penticton.

Before you give up on those hearing aids in the drawer, call me at 778-215-5261. I'm open every day, 8am to 6pm.