Losing or breaking your hearing aid
There is something wrong with my hearing aid. What do I do?
Don’t panic – take a look at this checklist!
Checklist
- Is the battery working?
- Is there wax blocking your earmould?
- Is water (condensation) getting in your earmould?
- Can you see holes, dents or cracks?
- Any rust inside the battery compartment?
Cleaning tip: You can add a few drops of dishwashing liquid to water and soak the earmould. Make sure the earmould is fully dry before using it again. To clean wax off the earmould, wipe it with a damp cloth. You can use a special brush or wire pick to get wax out of the tubing. You can get this from your audiologist.
Make sure you talk to your audiologist if the hearing aid looks damaged, has holes or rust.
Don’t use a hairdryer or heater to dry your hearing aid. You wouldn’t dry your laptop with these, so don’t use them on your hearing aids!
What happens if I lose my hearing aids?
Take good care of your hearing aids as the NHS is allowed to charge you if you lose or damage them.
The NHS provides all hearing aids as a permanent loan. This means they are yours for as long as you need them, but they still belong to the NHS.
If you lose your hearing aid, you may be charged £70–£150. There are different prices for different kinds of hearing aids.
