How to use your hearing aid

How to use yourhearing aid

© Crown copyright 2004

This edition first published April 2004.

Produced by the Department of healthCHLORINE FREE PAPER

The text of this document may be reproduced without formal permission or charge for personal or in-house use.

www.dh.gov.uk/publications

2 Your new hearing aid

4 How a hearing aid can help

5 Getting used to your hearing aid

7 Types of hearing aid

9 Earmoulds

10 Putting in your hearing aid

13 Controlling your hearing aid

15 Common problems

16 Care and maintenance

19 Local hearing aid services

20 Hearing therapy services

21 Other assistance

23 Helpful organisations

Contents

Your new hearing aidCongratulations on getting a hearing aid,the first step towards better hearing. Thereis no doubt that, with practice, it will makea real difference to your quality of life.

Please take the time to read this guide as itwill help you get the best out of your newhearing aid. It will remind you of whatyour audiologist explained at your fittingappointment, and it also contains extrainformation about how to use and lookafter your aid.

You will also find things you can do tomake it easier to understand what otherpeople are saying, and contact informationfor some useful organisations.

If you have any difficulties that are notsolved by this guide, your local audiologyservice is there to help you.

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What does the NHS provide?Your hearing aid is provided free on loan.It is yours for as long as you need it, butit remains the property of the NHS.

All the batteries for your hearing aid willbe supplied to you free of charge. Youraudiologist will explain how to get newbatteries when you need them. You willalso be given a service book for yourhearing aid, in which the hearing aidcentre staff will note down any changesthey make to the aid, when you are givenbatteries and so forth. You should alwaysbring it with you when you come to thecentre for anything to do with yourhearing aid.

Please look after your hearing aid. Yourhearing aid centre will repair or replace itfree of charge if it goes wrong. However,there may be a charge if it is damagedthrough misuse. Your local department will tell you about their arrangements for repairs.

Note on private dispensers

If you have bought hearing aids

privately from a registered hearing aid

dispenser, this does not prevent you

from getting hearing aids free of

charge through the NHS. The two

services are quite separate.

The NHS cannot help you to pay for

private purchase of hearing aids, and

cannot provide repairs for a private

hearing aid.

Note on private dispensers

If you have bought hearing aids

privately from a registered hearing aid

dispenser, this does not prevent you

from getting hearing aids free of

charge through the NHS. The two

services are quite separate.

The NHS cannot help you to pay for

private purchase of hearing aids, and

cannot provide repairs for a private

hearing aid.

How a hearing aid can help What you can expectHearing aids cannot give you perfecthearing, but they should help you to heareveryday sounds like the doorbell, thetelephone ringing and the kettle boiling.They should also help you to follow whatpeople are saying, so that conversationbecomes much easier and more relaxed.You will probably find that it is helpful towatch people’s faces at the same time.

In noisy places like high streets, pubs andrestaurants, you may still find it difficult tofollow what people are saying. Some typesof hearing aid are designed to reducecertain kinds of background noises, such asthe rumble of traffic or the whir of a fan.This makes listening more comfortable, butyou may still struggle to pick out onevoice from the general chatter. Wearing anaid in both ears may help you to focusbetter on what you want to listen to.

How do you know your hearingaid is right for you?You will have been given either a digitalor an analogue hearing aid. They look verysimilar on the outside, but they differ inthe way the technology inside processessounds. Whichever type you have, it hasbeen selected and adjusted to suit you andto give you the best results.

You need to take time to get used towearing a hearing aid and becomeaccustomed to the sound of it. If, after afew months, you feel that it is not helpingyou to hear what you want to in youreveryday life, then you should go back toyour audiologist. They may be able toadjust it to suit you better. Your hearingaid should never make soundsuncomfortably loud for you. If it does, youshould ask your audiologist to adjust it.

Your hearing may seem ‘dull’ when youtake your aid off, but that is just becauseyou have become used to hearing muchbetter with it. Using a hearing aid won’tmake your hearing worse.

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If you have not worn an aid before, allowyourself sufficient time to get used to it.Familiarise yourself with your specificmodel of aid. Make sure you know howthe controls work. Practise putting it inand taking it out. This may seem veryawkward at first, but most people can dothis without thinking within a week or so.If necessary, your audiologist can showyou again how to do it.

Take time to get used to the sound ofthe hearing aid. It will allow you to hearsounds that you may not have heard fora long time, but they are unlikely to soundcompletely natural. For instance, peopleoften find that their own voice appearsparticularly strange. Don’t worry aboutthis to begin with, but if you have notbecome accustomed to your own voicewithin a couple of weeks, you shouldtell your audiologist. Remember thatyour brain has become used to nothearing many sounds, and will taketime to adjust to the new situation.

Build up your use of the hearing aidgradually. Start by listening to easiersounds, such as the news on the television.

Don’t try in difficult listening situations,such as outside or in noisy places, untilyou are really used to the sound of it. It isalso important to allow your ear to getused to wearing the earmould. If you useyour hearing aid all day every day straightaway, you can make your ear sore. It isbest to build up gently, starting with halfan hour a day and increasing to all dayafter a few weeks. Remember to switchoff your aid when you take it out.

One hearing aid or two?If your hearing is similar on both sides, youmay be offered a hearing aid for each ear.Many people find they can hear betterwith two aids and that it helps them totell where sounds are coming from. It canalso make it easier to hear in noisy places.

Some common problemsWhen you are new to your hearing aid, anumber of things can happen to make youthink there is something seriously wrong.For example, your aid might suddenly stopworking only because the battery is dead.If you think something is wrong with your hearing aid, please see the guide onpage 15.

Getting used to your hearing aid

Listening tactics Even with the best hearing aid, somesituations may still be very difficult. Hereare a number of things you can do tomake it easier to understand whatpeople are saying:

■ try telling others about your hearingloss and how they can help you tofollow what they are saying. Ask themto speak clearly, but not to shout;

■ be clear about your communicationneeds from the start. This will make the conversation easier for the otherperson too;

■ face the person speaking and ask themto face you;

■ 3–6 feet is the ideal distance from theperson speaking. Your hearing aid hasonly a small microphone, so the closeryou are to the sound you are listeningto, the better;

■ to see their expression clearly, try tomake sure that the light is falling ontheir face;

■ don’t be afraid to ask people to repeator rephrase what they said. If you don’t,hoping to pick up the sense later, youmay lose track of the conversationaltogether;

■ make use of what you can see as wellas what you can hear. Gestures, facialexpression and mouth movements cangive you helpful clues to the meaningof what someone is saying;

■ if necessary, ask the speaker to slowdown and remind them to face youand speak clearly;

■ encourage people to make a pointof letting you know when they areintroducing a new topic of conversation– and what the subject is;

■ it may be helpful to use questions withyes/no answers to confirm information(e.g. ‘Did you say 4 o’clock?’ rather than‘Did you say 4 o’clock or 5 o’clock?’);

■ try to keep calm, and don’t panic; and■ thank other people if they are helpful.

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Behind-the-ear(BTE) hearing aidshave an earmouldinside your ear thatis made to fitsnugly. The hearingaid itself rests

behind your ear and a piece of soft tubingconnects it to the earmould and channelssound from the aid into your ear. Mostpeople receiving NHS hearing aids aregiven this type.

Body-worn hearingaids have a smallbox that you clip toyour clothes or putin your pocket. Thisbox houses themicrophone and

working parts. It is connected by a lead toan earphone clipped into the earmould.Not many people use body-worn aids, butsome people find the controls less fiddlythan the ones on smaller aids. Some body-worn aids are very powerful.

In-the-ear (ITE)hearing aids fitentirely into the ear.Their working partsare either in a small

compartment clipped to the earmould orinside the moulded part itself. They areeasy to put in but tend to need repairingmore often than behind-the-ear aids.NHS in-the-ear aids are usually fairlynoticeable from the side.

Bone conductionhearing aids arefor people with‘conductive’ hearingloss (caused by aproblem in the

middle ear or outer ear) or for people whocan’t wear a conventional hearing aidbecause of the shape of their ear orbecause it is constantly infected orinflamed. These aids deliver sound throughthe skull by vibrations. One type (notshown) – the ‘bone anchored hearing aid’ –involves a small operation behind the ear.

Types of NHS hearing aid

CROS and BiCROShearing aids are forpeople with hearingin one ear only.CROS hearing aidsfeed sound to your

good ear from the side with no hearing.This ensures that you do not miss soundson your ‘deaf side’. BiCROS aids are forpeople who have no useful hearing in oneear and a hearing loss in the other. Theseaids pick up sounds from both sides,amplify them and feed them into the earthat has some hearing.

Spectacleadaptors: thehearing aid canbe attached toyour spectacles.Tubing connects

it to an earmould in the same way as witha behind-the-ear aid. These are onlysuitable for some people, so discuss thiswith your audiologist if you are interested.

Directional microphonesHearing aids with directional microphoneshelp you to focus on sounds in front ofyou more than sounds coming from theside or behind. They can be particularlyhelpful when there is a lot of backgroundnoise. It’s best if you switch betweendirectional and ‘all round’ sound indifferent situations.

Hearing aid coloursSome behind-the-ear hearing aids areavailable in a range of colours, making itpossible for you to have an aid that blendswith your hair or skin colour or, if you likethe idea, one that is brightly coloured.

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The earmould is a vital part of thehearing aid system. It not only holdsyour behind-the-ear aid in place, but itchannels sound from the aid into yourear and can affect the quality of whatyou hear. Sometimes earmoulds canbe modified to help you hear better,depending on your hearing loss.

ComfortAn earmould that doesn’t fit well or isdifficult to put in place properly will notonly be uncomfortable, but will make yourhearing aid less effective, and may make it‘squeal’, ‘whistle’ or sometimes ‘buzz’. Thishappens if amplified sound leaks back outof your ear past the earmould and getspicked up by the hearing aid microphone.It is technically known as ‘acousticfeedback’. Earmoulds should fit very snuglybut comfortably – even when you areeating!

If your earmould hurts you or if you find itvery difficult to put in or keep in place, goback to your audiologist. (The same appliesto in-the-ear hearing aids.) They are ableto modify your earmould or guide youon how to put it in with more success.Sometimes they may need to make youa new one.

If you continue to suffer discomfort evenwhen your earmould is fitting properly, itis possible to have one made in specialmaterials that are much less likely toirritate or inflame your ears. Ask youraudiologist about this.

Customised earmouldsIf you would like to make a feature ofyour earmoulds, you can get them made inbold colours or studded with glitter orfinished with a logo of your choice. Youcan also get coloured tubing to match.These options are usually only available tochildren on the NHS.

Earmoulds

Putting in your hearing aidWith behind-the-ear and body-worn aids,it is important to get the earmould in yourear properly. Your audiologist should showyou how to do this and practise with youin the clinic, but it will take more practiceat home before you are an expert.

You may find it helpful to use a mirror whenpractising, but not everyone finds this to bethe case.

Hold theearmould at theback with yourfinger and thumb.

Pull it back pastyour ear.

Put the bit thatgoes down the earcanal into position.

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Use your other handto pull down yourear lobe.

Push your earmouldfirmly in.

Correctly fittedaid.

Then get in placethe bit that goesinto the crease atthe top of the ear.

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Your audiologist may have practised aslightly different method with you, butwhatever the method, the important thingis to end up as shown in picture 5.

Picture 6 shows an earmould that is not in properly. This will make your ear soreand may cause feedback (a whistling orbuzzing noise). Check it in the mirror or feel up to the top part of your ear. If you can feel the point, the earmould isn’t in properly.

Some in-the-ear aids also have a pointthat tucks into the crease at the top of theear. They should be inserted in the sameway as an earmould for behind-the-earaids.

Other in-the-ear aids just push in, without the top part. Some people findthis easier, but because they can be verysmall, some people find them moredifficult to manage.

If you have two hearing aids, or sometimeseven if you only have one, they are oftencolour coded to make sure you put the aidin the correct ear. This is always RED forthe RIGHT ear, and BLUE for the LEFT ear.

If your earmould is in properly, but itis still making your ear sore, tell youraudiology department (see pages 9 and19). They may be able to make the mouldmore comfortable.

If your earmould is in properly, but you arestill getting feedback, please see the guideon page 15.

Top part of theearmould notproperly tuckedinto the crease atthe top of the ear.

Incorrect

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ControlsThese days, hearing aid controls vary agreat deal. Refer to the instructions thatcame with your specific model whenpractising with your aid. However, mosthearing aids have some common features.

Your hearing aid will need to be switchedoff when you are not using it. If you havea switch marked O-T-M, ‘O’ stands for Off.On other models, you use the batterycompartment to turn the hearing aid off.Your audiologist will show you how to do this.

Many hearing aids have a volume control.Usually this is a wheel, but it can be a little lever. All volume controls need tobe pushed up to make the hearing aid louder and down to make it quieter. Some hearing aids adjust their ownvolume automatically, depending on howloud sounds are. You do not need to adjust these.

Some hearing aids have other features,such as a button to change to differentsettings (or programmes) for differentlistening situations. Please refer to yourown hearing aid’s instruction manual fordetails of any special features.

The ‘T’ settingMost NHS hearing aids have a ‘T’ settingfor ‘telecoil’. When you set your aid to ‘T’,this allows you to use special listeningequipment, such as an ‘induction loop’or a telephone described as ‘hearing aidcompatible’. If your hearing aid has anO-T-M switch, most of the time you willswitch to ‘M’ to pick up sounds throughthe hearing aid microphone. But you needto switch to ‘T’ to use a loop or ‘hearingaid compatible’ telephone. Other modelshave a button that you press for the ‘T’setting. When there is no loop, if you putyour hearing aid on the ‘T’ setting bymistake, you will probably hear a buzzingor humming noise, but you will not pickup anything else.

Induction loops These enable hearing aid users to pick upsound more clearly at a distance or acrossa counter window by using the ‘T’ setting.A loop system transfers sound direct to thehearing aid, cutting out most backgroundnoise. You will find loops in many theatres,conference halls, booking offices, and atbank counters. You can also have a loopfitted at home, for listening to TV andaudio equipment, for example.

Controlling your hearing aid

TelephoneSome telephones – described as ‘hearingaid compatible’ – have small loops builtinto them. To find where the sound is best,you will need to switch to the ‘T’ settingand to hold the telephone earpiece inslightly different positions near yourhearing aid.

If your telephone is not 'hearing aidcompatible', do not use the 'T' setting.Instead hold the telephone earpiece nearthe microphone on your aid. Youraudiologist can show you how to do this.

If your hearing loss is fairly mild, you mayhear better on the telephone without yourhearing aid. It may take practice to findout what works best for you.

Adjusting hearing aids in both earsIf you have two hearing aids, the aim formost people is to create a balanced sound,so that if someone is speaking from infront of you, they cannot be heard more inone ear than the other. Your audiologistshould help you to get a balanced soundwhen you are first fitted, but you mayneed to adjust the volume on the hearingaids (if you have a volume control) athome to keep the sound balanced.

Induction loop symbol

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If the hearing aid doesn’t seem tobe working:■ check that you have not switched it to

the ‘T’ setting by accident;

■ if your hearing aid has a volume control,check that this is not turned right down.If it is, adjust it to the correct level;

■ check that the battery is the right way round;

■ try putting in a new battery;

■ take your hearing aid out and check thatthe earmould is not blocked with wax;

■ if it is a behind-the-ear hearing aid,check that the tubing is not twisted,squashed or split;

■ check whether there are droplets ofcondensation in the tubing. If there are, gently pull the soft tubing off the hookedpart of the aid and blow down the tubingto remove the droplets; and/or

■ if you have a body-worn aid, the leadmay need to be replaced.

If you have checked everything but yourhearing aid is still not working, take it tothe hearing aid centre to see if it needsto be repaired.

If the hearing aid is whistling,squealing, sizzling or buzzing:■ this could be ‘feedback’, which happens

when sound from your hearing aid leaksout and gets picked up by itsmicrophone;

■ you may not have put the earmould inproperly – push it gently to check;

■ you may have excess wax in your ears –ask your GP to check your ears;

■ if your hearing aid has a volumecontrol, check whether the volumeis too high; and/or

■ if your aid is buzzing, check whether youhave switched to the ‘T’ setting by accident.

You may need to ask your hearing aid centrefor help if:■ your earmould has cracked, or does not fit

snugly enough.■ the hooked part of the hearing aid

(behind-the-ear type) has cracked or come loose; and/or

■ the tubing (behind-the-ear type) has split,and you are not able to replace thisyourself (see page 18).

If none of these are the problem, take theaid back to your hearing aid centre to seeif it needs to be repaired.

Common problems

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BatteriesYour audiologist will tell you how to getnew batteries.

New batteries are supplied free of chargeby the hearing aid centre. Your hearing aidwill use a particular type of battery andthis information will be written down inyour hearing aid service book. How longthey last will depend on what type ofhearing aid you have and how much ofthe time you use it. Don’t leave the batteryin a hearing aid that you are not usingregularly, as it might damage the aid.

Keep the batteries clean and dry and awayfrom extreme heat or cold. Return yourused batteries when you get new ones.Never throw old batteries into a fire (theymay explode). Don’t leave batteries wheresmall children can reach them. If anyoneswallows a battery, it is important tocontact their GP.

Always carry some spare batteries withyou in order not to be caught out if thebattery in your hearing aid suddenly dies.

If you are attending an important functionand are worried about your batteryrunning out half way through, changethe battery beforehand.

Changing the batteryIf the sound from your hearing aid getsfainter or disappears, or if the soundbecomes crackly or fuzzy, change thebattery. Some models give a warning signal(bleeping sound) when the battery is low.

When you change the battery, rememberto remove the sticky tab from the fresh one(if it has a tab) and make sure that it goesin the battery compartment the right wayround (match the ‘+’ on the battery withthe ‘+’ on the battery compartment). If thebattery compartment sticks when you tryto close it, don’t force it – the battery isprobably the wrong way round and youneed to check.

When you have put the new battery in, check that your hearing aid is working properly.

Care and maintenance

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Cleaning the earmould(behind-the-ear and body-worn aids)Earmoulds should be wiped clean everynight with a soft, dry cloth or tissue. Don’tuse any chemicals as these can damage it.Use a pin or similar item to remove anywax or debris that has got into thechannel that goes through the earmould.

At least once a week – and preferablymore often – the earmould should beseparated from the hearing aid andwashed. To do this with a behind-the-eartype of aid, gently pull the soft tubing offthe hooked part of the aid by holding onto the tubing and the hook of the aid andtugging gently. But don’t pull it out of theearmould as you won’t get it back inagain. Wash the earmould (with its tubingstill in place) in warm, soapy water. Use anailbrush to remove any wax. Rinse it well,blow down the tubing to get the waterout and leave it to dry overnight. Thenpush the tubing back onto the hearing aid.Make sure that the curve of the earmouldgoes the same way as the curve of yourhearing aid, (see diagram 6 on page 18).

For a body-worn hearing aid, unclip theearphone from the earmould. Wash theearmould in warm, soapy water, using anailbrush to remove any wax. Rinse it welland leave it to dry. Make sure it isthoroughly dry before clipping theearphone back into it.

If you have two hearing aids – one for eachear – make sure that you don’t lose track ofwhich earmould goes with which aid.

These are some general tips, but youshould also read any printed instructionsyou may have been given on how tolook after your particular model ofhearing aid.

Cleaning the hearing aidClean the hearing aid by wiping itcarefully with a soft, dry cloth or tissue.Take care not to get it wet. If you have anin-the-ear type, you will be giveninstructions and a special tool for keepingit free of wax.

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Cut the tapered tubingas close as possible tothe earmould. Any tube sticking out couldrub your ear and makeit sore.

Push the end of thetubing onto the plasticnozzle on your hearingaid.Make sure that it bendsin the right direction, asshown in the picture.

Take the old piece oftubing you saved andline it up with the newlythreaded tube. Cut theend to the same length.

Pull the old tubing out ofthe earmould.Do not throw the oldtubing away as you willneed it later.

Pull the tube until thebend reaches the mould.All the tapered sectionshould have comethrough the other side.

Cut the last 5cm (2 inches) of a pre-bentpiece of tubing to atapered end.Thread this through theearmould until it comesout the other end.

Re-tubing the earmould (behind-the-ear hearing aids)You will need to change the tubing when it begins to harden and discolour, or if it splits. Askyour audiologist to show you how – or you can take it to a hearing aid repair session run byyour audiology department.

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Local hearing aid servicesNew batteriesIf you take your brown record book, yourhearing aid centre should supply newbatteries without the need for anappointment. Most centres are open from9.00 am to 5.00 pm for issue of batteries,although they may be closed at lunch time.

Batteries are often also made available atlocal health centres, to make it easier foryou to get them. Your local centre will beable to advise you of the nearest place toget batteries. You do not need to go inperson. Someone else can get them for you,as long as they have your record book.

RepairsIf your hearing aid is faulty oruncomfortable, and you cannot solve theproblem (see page 15), it should be takento your hearing aid centre. Most centreshave some open repair clinics. At certaintimes, you can go without anappointment, when it is simply a case offirst come first served. This service mayalso be available at your local healthcentre. Your hearing aid centre will advise

you of their repair times. Somedepartments use an appointment systemfor repairs. In this case, you will need tocontact them, and they will then give youa specific time slot.

Many simple problems can be solved atthe repair clinics. However, sometimes theaudiologist will have to give you a longerappointment, to come back at a later date.

Other assistanceIf you have difficulty getting to thedepartment, they should be able toorganise transport for you. If you arehousebound, most services will be able toarrange a home visit. Your hearing aidcentre will be able to tell you about yourlocal arrangements.

Unused hearing aidsIf you do not use your hearing aid, nolonger need it, or are leaving the countryfor an extended period, please return it toyour department telling them why. It isvaluable NHS property and can bereconditioned and reused.

At many hearing aid centres you maybe able to see a hearing therapist. Theyprovide a comprehensive rehabilitationservice for patients who are hard ofhearing or deafened. They will ask youabout difficulties with hearing andcommunication that you may beexperiencing at home, at work and socially.They will plan with you some helpful stepsto improve the situation.

They may offer you:■ an explanation of what may be causing

your hearing problems;

■ counselling and advice – for you andyour family;

■ support if you have had a sudden lossof hearing;

■ help to make the most of what you can hear;

■ help and advice on adjusting to hearingaids and getting the best from them;

■ communication tactics and ways toimprove lipreading;

■ help in minimising the distressingeffects of tinnitus;

■ information about useful equipmentfor the home or work;

■ help if you also have balance problems;and

■ help if you also have sight problems.

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Hearing therapy services

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Other assistanceTinnitusTinnitus is a medical term for any noisewhich people hear either in one ear, bothears or in their head. These sounds do notcome from outside the head, although theymay occasionally sound as if they do. Youmay hear a ringing, buzzing, whistling orrushing noise. Tinnitus is quite commonand can develop at any age. There aremany different causes of it and they arerarely linked to anything serious. Althoughtinnitus can be distressing if it goes onconstantly, people usually learn to minimiseits disruptive effects quite successfully. Ifyou have tinnitus and would like help withit, let your GP or hearing aid centre know.

You may find that wearing your hearingaid stops your tinnitus from being sobothersome by bringing in extra soundsthat help distract your brain from it.Straining to hear can make tinnitus morenoticeable. Your hearing aid may helpbecause it reduces the need to strain.However, not everyone finds that hearingaids help their tinnitus.

Balance Some people have problems with theirbalance. We can all feel dizzy at somepoint in our lives but if you have balanceproblems or are concerned about yourbalance, you should talk to your GP orhearing aid centre and they will adviseyou as to the best course of action.

Many different medical conditions,including inner ear disorders, can give riseto symptoms of dizziness and unsteadiness.These can sometimes be very unpleasant,but the causes are rarely serious. Youshould always seek medical advice andbear in mind that balance problems canoften be helped by simple treatments.

Other equipmentA hearing aid can help you to hear manythings in and around the house, but evenwith its help you may find that you havesome remaining problems.

If you have difficulty hearing such thingsas alarm clocks, telephones ringing,doorbells, babies crying, or smoke alarms,for example, you can get alerting devicesthat have been designed to help. These useflashing lights, pagers or vibrating pads todraw your attention to sounds.

If you find it hard to listen to the televisionor to hear voices on the telephone, otherequipment is available to help.

The equipment may be availablethrough your social services department ororganisation(s) providing services on theirbehalf) or can be bought.

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Helpful organisationsWhen you are fitted with your hearing aid,your hearing aid centre will give youinformation about clinic times and localservices. Do keep this information in a safe place, as you may need to refer to itin the future.

There are other organisations that providehelp and advice for hearing impairedpeople. We list the main ones below.

Association of Teachers of Lip-readingto Adults (ATLA) The ATLA can provide information aboutlocal lip-reading classes. These details mayalso be obtainable from your localauidology department.

PO Box 506, HanleyStoke-on-Trent ST2 9RE. Fax: 0870 706 2916. E-mail: ATLA@lipreading.org.uk Website: www.lipreading.org.uk

British Deaf Association (BDA)The BDA provides help and support to deafpeople, with particular focus on sign-language users. They can provideinformation on a range of subjects such aswelfare benefits, education and theDisability Discrimination Act (DDA).

1–3 Worship Street, London EC2A 2ABTextphone: 0800 6522 965 Telephone: 0870 770 3300 Videophone: 020 7496 9539 Fax: 020 7588 3527 E-mail: helpline@bda.org.uk Website: www.britishdeafassociation.org.uk

British Tinnitus AssociationThis national charity supports local self-help groups and takes an interest in research.

Ground Floor, Unit 5, Acorn Business Park, Woodseats Close, Sheffield, S8 0TBFreephone (UK): 0800 018 0527Fax: 0114 258 2279E-mail: info@tinnitus.org.uk Website: www.tinnitus.org.uk

Deafblind UKDeafblind UK is a national charity whichprovides a range of support services todeafblind adults and their carers.

The National Centre for DeafblindnessJohn and Lucille van Geest PlaceCygnet Road, HamptonPeterborough PE7 8FDHelpline: 0800 132320 (24 hours)Textphone: 01733 358858Fax: 01733 358356Website: www.deafblind.org.uk

Hearing ConcernHearing Concern is a national charitydedicated to improving the quality of lifeof adults who are hard of hearing.

4th floor, 275-281 King StreetLondon W6 9LZTelephone: 020 8233 2929Textphone: 020 8233 2934Fax: 020 8233 2934HelpDesk: 0845 0744600 (voice and text)E-mail: info@hearingconcern.org.ukWebsite: www.hearingconcern.org.uk

National Deaf Children’s SocietyThe NDCS aims to encourage, help andadvise parents of deaf children and ensurethat deaf children receive the maximumbenefits from medical technology andeducational techniques.

15 Dufferin Street, London, EC1Y 8URTelephone: 020 7490 8656Textphone: 020 7490 8656Fax: 020 7251 5020Freephone helpline: 0808 800 8880 (voice and text)E-mail: ndcs@ndcs.org.ukWebsite: www.ndcs.org.uk

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RNIDRNID is the largest voluntary organisationin the UK concerned with all aspects ofdeafness. They provide a range of servicesincluding freephone helplines, interpreting,training, assistive devices, and residentialcare. They also provide a range of leafletson all aspects of deafness which may beavailable at your hearing aid centre.

19–23 Featherstone StreetLondon EC1Y 8SL

Freephone Information Line:Telephone: 0808 808 0123Textphone: 0808 808 9000Fax: 020 7296 8199 E-mail: informationline@rnid.org.uk Website: www.rnid.org

Tinnitus Helpline:Telephone: 0808 808 6666 (freephone)Textphone: 0808 808 0007 (freephone)Fax: 020 7296 8199 E-mail: tinnitushelpline@rnid.org.uk

RNID Sound AdvantageSound Advantage is an RNID servicefor deaf and hard of hearing people.It supplies a full range of assistive devicesdirect to individuals (via the Solutionscatalogue) and through many socialservices departments. Products includelistening devices for TV and generalconversation; alerting devices, such asflashing doorbells, smoke detectors andalarm clocks; and special telephones, bothtextphones and amplified voice phones.

Unit 1, Haddonbrook Business Centre, Fallodan Road, Orton Southgate, Peterborough, PE2 6YXTelephone: 0870 789 8855Textphone: 01733 238020Fax: 0870 789 8822E-mail: solutions@rnid.org.ukWebsite: www.rnidshop.com

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RNID TypetalkRNID Typetalk is a 24-hour telephonerelay service that enables deaf, deafblind,deafened, hard of hearing and speech-impaired people to use the normaltelephone network to communicate withhearing people anywhere in the world. It isfree to join Typetalk, and calls cost aboutthe same as if they had been dialled direct.

For more information about the service,please contact:

RNID Typetalk, PO Box 284Liverpool L69 3UZ.Switchboard: 0151 709 9494Textphone helpline: 0800 500 888Voice helpline: 0800 7311 888Fax: 0151 709 8119E-mail: helpline@rnid-typetalk.org.ukWebsite: www.typetalk.org

SenseSense is the national voluntaryorganisation that works with andcampaigns for children and adults whoare both deaf and blind; providing advice,support, information for them, theirfamilies, their carers and the professionalswho work with them.

11–13 Clifton Terrace, London N4 3SRTelephone: 020 7272 7774Textphone: 020 7272 9648Fax: 020 7272 6012E-mail: enquiries@sense.org.uk Website: www.sense.org.uk

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The name and address of yourhearing aid centre is:

Produced in association with

© Crown copyright 2004

Produced by the Department ofHealth in association with RNID34789 1p 400k (XXX)

First published April 2004

If you require further copies of thistitle quote 34789/How to use yourhearing aid and contact:

DH Publications OrderlineTel: 08701 555 455E-mail: doh@prolog.uk.com

08700 102 870 – Textphone:(for minicom users) for the hard ofhearing 8am to 6pm Monday toFriday.

34789/How to use your hearing aidcan also be made available onrequest in Braille, on audio-cassettetape, on disk and in large print.

Photography: Philip MeechIllustration: Martin Kerslake

www.dh.gov.uk/publications