Last Friday night, I hung out with friends for a night of food, fun, and live music in the heart of downtown Waukesha. After dinner, the diminishing sound indicated that my hearing aid battery had gotten weak. I replaced it with an extra battery that I always carry in my pocket, but surprisingly, the sound didn’t come back. I thought maybe the battery was a bad one, so I replaced it again. Once again, I couldn’t hear anything. I had a hard time enjoying the rest of the night because I couldn’t hear the conversation over the music with my one good hearing aid. The one chance I had in ages to get out and spend time with friends on a Friday night, and this happens! I was quite frustrated.

When I got home after midnight, I changed the wax trap and the sound came back. Apparently, dirt or wax had gotten trapped in there while I was changing the batteries and stopped it from working. Well, there’s a lesson for me to bring my back-up hearing aids and cleaning tools with me in case something like this happens again.

Have you encountered issues with your hearing aids or cochlear implants while you’re out doing things? For example, a failed battery or broken part? How do you handle these situations? Share your tips with us at Wednesday’s Open Chat Night.