Where Can I Buy Hearing Aid Tubes in the UK?

Did you receive an NHS hearing aid? Then chances are you received a Behind-the-Ear (BTE) hearing aid with a custom mould. This style of hearing aids is the most common because they provide the most power and are therefore suitable for a range of hearing impairments, including profound hearing loss.

A thin tube connects the hearing aid behind your ear and into the custom mould sitting inside your ear. Understanding hearing aid tubes is key to ensuring your hearing aid continues to perform to a high standard.

Let’s examine what you need to know about hearing aid tubes in the UK.

Hearing aids need regular maintenance to guarantee optimal performance. It’s why we always recommend wiping your hearing aids down when you remove them before you go to bed.

Earwax presents the biggest problem for hearing aid tubing. While a vital lubricant for the ear, it can sometimes block your hearing aid tubes, which can lead to weaker sounds and more distorted sounds.

In most cases, cleaning your Oticon hearing aid tubes is a matter of using a small cleaning wire to alleviate the blockage. Sometimes, though, a blockage may be unable to be removed, or it may have caused damage to the tubing.

In this case, you may need to look into an NHS hearing aid tube replacement service.  If this happens to you, it’s important to know where to turn so you can continue to enjoy great hearing, any time.

Tubing may be highly affordable and may seem like no more than a minor part of the hearing aid, but its function is vital to an excellent hearing experience. The primary function of a tube is to transfer sound from the hearing aid sitting behind your ear into the ear mould and, finally, into the ear canal itself. It’s critical to being able to hear sound.

Whenever a sound is detected, the hearing aid converts it into a digital signal, which is then transmitted into the amplifier inside the ear mould. Without the tube, you will be unable to hear anything.

There are other reasons why modern tubing works how it does, including:

• It secures your hearing aid in place. Without this anchorage, you wouldn’t be able to enjoy the same active lifestyle you do now. Secure tubing provides better comfort and prevents the need for constant adjustments.
• Most modern tubing is completely transparent to make your hearing aid more difficult to notice. Discretion is important to many BTE hearing aid wearers.
• Tubing also adds distance between the mould inside your ear and the hearing device itself. This keeps your hearing aid cleaner than In-the-Ear (ITE) models and ensures it has a longer lifespan.

As you can see, tubing is an essential part of making sure your hearing aid continues to do its job. Even though maintenance and replacement can be annoying realities of wearing a hearing aid, they are crucial.

But what if you need to replace your tubing?

Retube hearing aids by getting in touch with your audiologist. This may be at your local hospital or a dedicated hearing centre. Some GPs also have hearing aid services, but these are less common. Some charities dispense hearing aid accessories for free with nothing more than an online request and a stamped address envelope.

In the event you obtained your hearing aids privately, you will need to contact your audiologist. Most private providers do charge, but if you have a private health insurance policy, hearing aid tube replacement may be covered.

Either way, hearing aid tubes are typically less than £10, so there’s no great expense involved.

If you got your hearing aid via the NHS, you’d need to contact the NHS trust that fitted your hearing aids. In most cases, you’ll be able to do this through your local GP: many GPs field hearing aid maintenance or replacement requests. As long as it’s just the tubing, you may even be able to get your GP to send your tubes to you via post if you cannot make a formal appointment.

The NHS does charge a fee for damage or loss through negligence, but in practice, this is rarely levied. Your individual NHS trust may have its separate procedure for procuring NHS hearing aid tubes, but in most cases, it’s a matter of notifying your audiologist and collecting your new tubes.

In all, hearing aid tubes replacement is a relatively simple process if you got your hearing aid via the NHS.

As of this writing, the NHS favours Oticon BTE hearing aids. Patients typically have little to no choice over the brand as this is the manufacturer the NHS signed a supply contract with. However, Oticon is one of the leading brands in the world, so there’s no need to worry.

Here’s what you need to know about using and caring for your Oticon hearing aid tubes.

Taking time out of your day to clean hearing aid tubing is never a pleasant experience. The problem is the tubes can and do become blocked by earwax. This is natural, and there’s nothing you can do about it.

The longer you put off cleaning, however, the higher the chance of needing an Oticon hearing aid tube replacement. We recommend cleaning the tubes when you notice any build-up or a noticeable decline in your BTE hearing aid performance.

When you get your new hearing aids, you’ll also receive the special Oticon multitool cleaning implement. These are designed specifically for the Corda thin tubing used in Oticon hearing aids.

Here’s how to clean your hearing aid tubes:

• Pull the thin tube out of the hearing aid. Don’t worry if there’s some resistance. It’s supposed to have a tight fit, so it doesn’t disconnect while you’re out and about.
• Take the Oticon cleaning tool and push it all the way into the thin tube. Avoid forcing the cleaning tool inside. While robust, improper cleaning may cause damage to the tube, thus necessitating an NHS hearing aid tube replacement.
• Reconnect the thin tube to the hearing aid after it’s clean.

It really is that easy to keep your hearing aid tubes clean. Oticon has designed the Corda thin tube so anyone can keep their tubes clean, even if they have limited dexterity.

Assuming you’ve already ordered your NHS hearing aid tube replacement and you’re ready to make the switch, you need to know how to do it. Unfortunately, this is where many newer hearing aid wearers struggle, as it’s not always clear what you must do to replace the tubing safely and effectively.

Here’s our guide to replacing your hearing aid tubing:

• Step One – Take apart your Oticon hearing aid. It may be difficult, but the tubing should disconnect from both the ear mould and the hearing aid. Don’t throw away the old tubing immediately.
• Step Two – The NHS recommends washing the ear mould and drying it thoroughly.
• Step Three – Take your new piece of tubing and inspect it. There should be a taper at one end of the tube.
• Step Four – Once you’ve found the tapered end of your tubing, this should be pushed into the ear mould. The tapered end should be at the bottom and pushed through in the correct direction.
• Step Five – Pull the tube through. If you’ve done it correctly, you should get around a 90-degree angle.
• Step Six ­– Grab a pair of scissors and cut the tapered end of the tubing off. Make sure you don’t cut off too much, or you risk destroying the tube. Ensure the cut is clean, or it could cause irritation in the ear.
• Step Seven – Make sure you still have your old tubing to hand. Use it to measure the length of the tube and cut the other end of the tube to ensure it’s the right length. Simply push the other end of the tube onto the hook of the hearing aid by pinching it gently.

While it may sound complex to fit new tubing initially, it’s not as difficult as it sounds. For any extra help, contact your audiologist. They will be happy to guide you through the process of replacing your old NHS hearing aid tubes. It can take a few attempts to get used to it, especially if you lack dexterity.

There’s no getting around the fact that becoming a hearing aid wearer means you need to spend time properly caring for and maintaining your hearing aid. However, the time spent is worth a lifetime of crystal-clear hearing.

Don’t suffer in a world of silence. We can answer any questions you might have or help you book a free hearing test. Contact a hearing aid professional through EarPros and schedule a consultation now. With our assistance, you’ll be able to find the best hearing aids for your specific needs.