Wearing your hearing aid is as familiar as putting on your favorite watch or grabbing your cellphone every day. And, just like those, you likely have a healthy fear of losing or breaking them by accident, which is completely understandable. When you invest in something that’s important to you – something you use every single day – you want to make sure nothing happens to it.

Sometimes, though, accidents do happen. However, with a little bit of knowledge and information, you can prevent many common hearing aid disasters before they occur, or before they get worse. Read on to find out more.

1. The disaster: I dropped my hearing aid in water!

Many people insert and take out their hearing aids in the bathroom. Doing this, especially near the sink or toilet, can be courting disaster – like dropping them in water or down the drain. Hearing care professionals recommend storing your hearing aids and chargers near your bed, so they’re the last thing you take out at night and the first thing you put in when you wake up. The bathroom can also get too humid for your hearing aids.

However, if they DO fall into water, grab them immediately before too much damage occurs. Wipe the device with a dry cloth, disinfect with a non-alcohol based towelette, for non-rechargeable aids remove the batteries, place the device in a dry box, and let them rest overnight. If they don't work the next day, contact your hearing care provider for further guidance.

2. The disaster: I lost my hearing aid!

Whether you have an active lifestyle, your hearing device became snagged on a mask or hat, or it somehow slipped out of your bag, a lost hearing aid can certainly feel like a disaster. The first thing you should do is stop immediately as soon as you realize it’s gone, and search the immediate area, including your clothing. The Oticon Companion app and Oticon ON app offer a "Find My Hearing Aid" feature that can help you find your Bluetooth® enabled hearing aids.

You can also check out the Oticon SafeLine™, a retention cord that keeps your hearing devices secure and attached while you bike, run, or participate in any activity where your hearing aids might become loose.

3. The disaster: My child (or my dog) ate my hearing aid!

Always store your hearing aids and accessories out of reach of children and pets. Dogs especially like to chew things, and a broken hearing aid can dislodge its batteries. If a child or pet ingests a hearing aid battery, this is an emergency, and you must seek medical attention immediately. Call the national battery ingestion hotline at 1-800-498-8666 or the National Poison control hotline 1-800-222-1222.

4. The disaster: I accidentally wore my hearing aids in the shower!

Hearing aids are water-resistant, but not waterproof. If you get your hearing aids wet, take them out of your ears immediately. Dry them off with a towel and remove the batteries if you have non-rechargeable hearing aids, then place them in their case or a drying box (preferably an electronic drying device) and let them rest overnight. If they aren’t working the next day with new batteries, contact your hearing care professional for advice.

If you need to talk to a hearing care professional, try our easy locator tool to find a professional near you!