Prescription hearing aids are tiny and easy to misplace, or worse yet, for pets or grandchildren to swallow. Here’s how to develop good habits so you can find them when you need them and what to do if you can’t.

Patients misplace their prescription hearing aids more often than you might think. How does that happen? Sometimes the patient takes them out, sets them on a coffee or end table, and their curious dog or cat decides to see what they are. Some actually get eaten, while others get torn up.

Or the grandkids pick their prescription hearing aids up, not sure what these tiny devices are, and they carry them off, hide them, or worse yet, swallow them.

Why is it important to keep a close eye on your hearing aids?

First, prescription hearing aids are an investment in your health that can cost thousands of dollars.

Second, ingesting hearing aids can be dangerous to pets and children. If a pet or grandchild does eat a hearing aid, get them emergency treatment immediately. Hearing aid components and button batteries can be dangerous. If you suspect a child has swallowed a battery, immediately call the National Battery Ingestion Hotline at 800-498-8666.

And third, you need your prescription hearing aids to communicate on a daily basis.

So how can you keep track of these small but important devices?

• The safest place for your prescription hearing aids is in your ears, but you can’t wear them 24/7. So, when they aren’t in your ears, develop habits and routines. For example when removing them each night before going to bed, put them in the same location or in their charging base. If you’re worried that a dog or cat might find them on a nightstand, put them on a higher surface, like a bathroom or kitchen countertop. Just be sure to keep them away from the sink and water. Hearing aids and water typically don’t mix.
• Find a safe and easily identifiable container to keep your hearing aids in. For example, Associated Audiologists can provide patients with a soft zippered pouch that’s bright blue. Many patients say this helps them easily locate their hearing aids and keeps these delicate devices safe. Hearing aids also come with storage cases and rechargeable devices have charging cases that are designed for safe keeping when not in use.
• DON’T put your hearing aids in your shirt or pants pocket or drop them in your purse without putting them in a safe container. If they’re in your shirt or pants pocket and you forget to remove them, they can easily go through the washer, and they usually don’t survive that. They also can easily fall to the bottom of a purse or backpack and get lost, but if they’re in a pouch or container, they can be much easier to locate.
• If your hearing aids have a “Find My Hearing Aids” feature on their app, consider turning it on. The app can help track your hearing aids and help you locate them, whether you’ve left them on a hotel nightstand, or they’ve fallen out between the seats in your car. It’s not 100% full-proof, but it’s one tool you can use.

If all else fails and you can’t find your hearing aids, or your pet really has eaten them, contact your audiologist immediately.

Most hearing aids have a manufacturer’s warranty that covers defects for a specified period of time, usually for a year to three years. Within that specified period of time, you may have loss and damage coverage.

Because most people wear their hearing aids an average of five to seven years, it’s also a good idea to look into extended coverage. Once your initial coverage is up, it doesn’t cover issues such as your dog eating your hearing aids, leaving your hearing aids on a nightstand in a hotel room, or losing a hearing aid when you remove your glasses.

To cover these types of losses, be sure to ask your audiologist about additional loss and damage coverage. This can help with the cost of replacing a hearing aid that you lose or that’s damaged. There would likely be a deductible, but that’s a small price to pay compared to the cost of new hearing aids.

Be sure to check with your audiologist about loaner and repair services as well. These can be important assets if your hearing aids have to be sent back to the manufacturer for repairs.

For more information about these issues, talk with your audiologist or schedule an appointment with a doctoral-level audiologist.