How to work your hearing aid

You will find this fact sheet useful if you are hard of hearing and wear a hearing aid.

Read this factsheet for details of:

• Information and advice about hearing aids
• Audiology Clinics
• Health Centres offering hearing aid battery service

Information and advice about hearing aids

Your hearing aid is set up by the audiology department of the hospital specifically for your hearing loss based on the test that you received.

The NHS ‘Behind The Ear’ aid is made up of 3 main parts:

1.The aid itself (the part behind the ear)

2.The mould (the part in the ear)

3.The tube (joins the aid and the mould together)

Maintenance

You can help keep your hearing aid in good condition by following some simple maintenance procedures:

• Clean the mould regularly. You can use antiseptic wipes available from all chemists and supermarkets OR
• Remove the tube and mould from the curved part of the aid (elbow) and wash the mould in warm water.
• Replace the tube at least every 6 months. This is called re-tubing. You can learn to do this yourself or the hospital will do it for you.

Functions

The hearing aid can have more than one simple function. Most analogue aids and some new digital aids have a 3 way switch.

O = Off

M = On (M stands for ‘Microphone’)

T = Telecoil (a radio coil that picks up a signal from a loop system)

Some digital aids only have a button which gives a series of ‘beeps’ when pressed.

• 1 beep is always the equivalent of ‘M’ (Opening & then closing the battery compartment always resets the aid to ‘M’ whatever setting it was on before.
• 2 beeps is usually the ‘background noise’ setting
• 3 beeps is usually the equivalent of the loop setting (T)

Please note - This is not always the case 2, 3 or 4 beeps could be the loop setting (T). If you are unsure please ask an audiologist how your own hearing aid has been programmed.

Batteries

Most hearing aids now use P13 batteries but some still use the larger 675’s both of which are available from the hospitals and a number of clinics or medical centres.

In the past, old batteries had to be returned in order to get new ones. This was because they contained chemicals which needed correct disposal. This is no longer the case and they can now be thrown away.

Do not put old batteries back in the packets. This often leads to the wearer assuming the aid is faulty when, in fact, they have put an old battery in.

If your hearing aid isn’t working properly please refer to fact sheet number 005/03/07.

Visit our factsheet page for more information about services for adults