In the past 15 years, we have come across some interesting stories of what happened to people’s hearing aids, how they got lost and how they got damaged. Some of them quite amusing, some a bit cringe worthy! Let us look at a few of these before looking at insurance of instruments.

My dog ate my hearing aid

This is probably the most common one – dogs really, really love hearing aids! Two possible reasons for this is the fact that they might hear your hearing aid’s frequencies when it is on and laying on the table, even if you cant hear something. The other reason is the fact that earwax & the human smell might attract them and promises to be a ‘tasty‘ snack!

Interesting is that some cats has also eaten hearing instruments. The naughty animal list doesn’t stop at dogs and cats – parrots has grabbed an instrument from the ear and bitten off the tubes with their sharp little beaks. I also read about a monkey grabbing a hearing aid from a tourist’s ear while on Safari in Africa!

I got into the shower with my hearing aid

Hearing instruments and water are not the best of friends, although technology has improved and most hearing aids has good protection. When getting into the shower with them, luckily most people realize this quite quickly and save them from drowning! Being pushed into the pool or jumping into the pool with your hearing instruments can also cause significant damage due to submersion. If your hearing instruments get wet – remove them quickly, take out the batteries and put them into your drying cup or electronic dryer. A service is recommended after this. Do not put it in the microwave to help dry! Many people have tried and tested this approach to their utter dismay! You might have a mini explosion and total destruction of a potentially savable instrument!

Read more about what to do with your instruments if they get wet right here:

My grandchild got hold of my hearing aids

Kids will be kids and they might find that your hearing aids are a brand new toy to play with! (Be extra careful with hearing aid batteries and children, as the consumption of hearing aid batteries can be very dangerous!).

My hearing aid got lost

People tend to lose hearing aids easily in certain environments specifically. One example is working in the garden. Bending over, moving a lot and potentially wiping your face more often can cause your instruments to fall. Using face masks with elastic around the ears can cause lost instruments easily. Taking off sweaters or scarves in winter can also cause your instruments to be hooked off your ear and end up in the washing!

Lastly, perhaps a bit more cringe worthy – you might confuse your hearing aid and your suppository :-)…

Please insure your hearing aids!

Hearing aids are small valuable items and a variety of factors can contribute to damage or loss. We suggest that you do insure your instruments for damage and loss. Typically you need to specify your instruments on your insurance policy.

If you want to insure your instruments, kindly contact us for an insurance certificate with your serial numbers and replacement value that you can send directly to your insurer! (If we don;t have your serial numbers or you didn’t get it from us – we can get it from the instrument!).

Contact us if you need assistance with your insurance certificate!

Wierdapark – 012 653 3830

Saxby Medicross – 087 944 1803

Benoni – Northmead – 011 425 0171

yolande@yvdwaudiology.co.za