Do you feel as if your hearing aid batteries are not keeping a charge as long as they should? The reasons for this can be sometimes surprising.What is the average amount of time that your hearing aid batteries should stay charged? Anywhere from 3 to 7 days is typical. That range is fairly wide. So wide, in fact, that it’s unpredictable and leaves you in a significant predicament. Things might suddenly go quiet when you’re trying to hear the cashier at the grocery store after 4 days of battery power. Or it’s day 5 and you’re having a call with friends when suddenly you find yourself feeling really alone because you can no longer follow the conversation. Now, you’re watching TV. You can no longer hear the news. Hold on, it’s only day 2. Yes, sometimes they even die before that 3-day mark. It isn’t just annoying. You’re missing out on life because you don’t know how much battery power is left in your hearing aids. If your hearing aid batteries are draining too quickly, there are a small number of likely culprits.
Moisture Can Drain a Battery
Did you realize that humans are one of the few species that produce moisture through their skin? We do it to cool off. We do it to clear out excess sodium or toxins in the blood. On top of this, you may live in a rainy or humid climate where things get even wetter. The air vent in your hearing aid can become clogged by this extra moisture and it will be less efficient. It can even deplete the battery directly by interacting with the chemicals which create electricity. Here are some measures you can take to prevent moisture-caused battery drain:
- Before you store your hearing aids, open the battery door
- Don’t leave the batteries in when you’re storing them for a number of days
- Moist environments, like the kitchen or bathroom are not a good place to keep your hearing aids
- A dehumidifier for your hearing aid is helpful
Batteries Can be Depleted by Advanced Hearing Aid Features
You get a much better hearing aid today than you did even a decade ago. But if you’re not paying attention, these advanced functions can cause faster battery drain. You can still use your favorite features. But be aware that if you stream music for hours from your mobile device to your hearing aids, you’ll have to replace the battery sooner. Your battery can be drained by any of the advanced functions, like Bluetooth, multichannel, noise cancellation, and tinnitus relief.
Batteries Can be Impacted by Altitude Changes
Your batteries can be sapped out if you go from low to high altitudes especially if they are already low on juice. When skiing, flying or climbing always takes some extra batteries.
Are The Batteries Really Low?
Some models will give you an alert when the battery begins to get too low. Generally speaking, these alerts are giving you a “heads up”. It doesn’t mean you have a depleted battery. Additionally, the charge can sometimes dip temporarily due to environmental or altitude changes and that can cause a false low battery warning. In order to end the alarm, remove the batteries, and then put them back in. You might be able to get several more hours or possibly even days out of that battery.
Handling Batteries Improperly
Wait until you’re ready to use your hearing aid to pull the tab from the battery. Always wash your hands before handling your hearing aids or batteries to protect against getting dirt or hand oil on them. Don’t ever freeze hearing aid batteries. This trick might extend the life of some kinds of battery but it doesn’t work with hearing aid batteries. Hearing aid batteries might lose battery power quicker if you make these simple handling errors.
It isn’t a Good Idea to Purchase a Year’s Supply of Batteries
Buying in bulk is usually a smart money decision when you can afford to do it. But as you get toward the end of the pack, the last several batteries most likely won’t last as long. Unless you don’t mind wasting a few, try to stick to a six month supply.
Purchasing Hearing Aid Batteries Online
Shopping from the web can be a good thing. You can get some good deals. But some batteries that are available on the internet are being sold by less honest individuals and are near their expiration date. Or even worse, it has already passed. So buyer beware.
There’s an expiration date on both zinc and alkaline batteries. You wouldn’t buy milk without checking the expiration date. You should do that with batteries also. Be sure that the date is well in the future to get the most use out of the pack. It’s probably a smart idea to message the vendor if you don’t see an expiration date or even better, come see us for your battery needs. Only purchase batteries from reliable sources.
Now You Can Get Rechargeable Hearing Aids
There are several reasons that hearing batteries may drain quickly. But by taking little precautions you can get more energy out of each battery. If you’re in the market for a new pair of hearing aids, you might decide on a rechargeable model. You put them on a charger every night for a full charge the next day. And you only need to replace them every few years.
