Broken Hearing Aid: Should You Repair or Replace Them?

Some hearing aid users have asked whether they should replace or repair a broken/overused hearing aid. This depends on several factors.

There isn’t a universal answer as to whether you should replace or repair a hearing aid. It would be based on your unique situation and specific hearing needs. It’s worth noting that all hearing aids will eventually stop working sooner or later, no matter what the price or condition may be. This same idea applies to all sorts of technology. 

Your hearing aids are consistently in a situation that isn’t always the best environment for digital devices. There’s a lot of moisture and earwax buildup that occurs while wearing anything that obstructs your ear canals. The purpose of earwax is to protect your ear’s skin and reduce the amount of debris that can enter your ear canal. Moisture and earwax can wear down hearing aids, and water that remains in the ears after a swim or shower can cause more damage. Adding other factors such as accidentally breaking the devices along with natural depletion, and you’ll realize that you will need to repair or replace them. 

How do you know whether to repair or replace your hearing aids?

First, you should think about whether you like your current hearing aids. Other than the elements that need to be repaired, overall, are they still useful? If you still enjoy wearing your hearing aids or you have adapted to the way you hear with them you should probably just try to get them fixed if that’s possible. 

The other obvious factor is the cost. A new pair of hearing aids will cost more, whereas the hearing aids that you own might only cost a little more to repair. Your insurance coverage would also be factored in. Some insurance providers will cover replacement hearing aids, while others will not cover the repair of your current hearing aids.      

Another concern is what to do if you choose to get your devices repaired.

1.) Should you send them back to the store where you purchased them?
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2.) Should you send them to a hearing aid provider that is conveniently located near you? 

It’s recommended that you send the hearing aid back to your original provider. They will be able to determine if the repair is needed and fix the hearing aid on site, or if further repair by the manufacturer is required. If additional repairs are needed by a lab or manufacturer, the hearing aid clinic will facilitate the necessary deliveries and paperwork for you. 
  
If it’s an emergency and you are traveling in an area away from your hearing aid provider, you may try a local hearing aid provider. 

Do not assume there will be a higher cost for these services. Hearing aid providers send large volumes of hearing aid devices to repair labs. If you opt to replace the hearing aids, there will be more selections for you to choose from. There are so many styles of hearing aids with newer technological innovations available. 

Only you will truly know whether you should replace or repair your hearing aids. 

If you are experiencing hearing loss, contact us at Pure Sound Hearing for a free hearing test and consultation. Our providers will help you select the best hearing aids for your specific listening needs and answer questions or concerns that you may have. 

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