Does it seem like your hearing aid batteries lose their charge too quickly? Here are some surprising reasons that might occur. What is the average period of time that your hearing aid batteries should stay charged? Between 3 to 7 days is standard. That range is fairly wide. So wide, actually, that it’s unpredictable and puts you in a significant predicament. You may be on day 4 at the grocery store when suddenly, things get quiet and you’re unable to hear the cashier. Or perhaps on day 5, you’re enjoying a conversation with friends when you suddenly feel very alone because you can’t participate because you can’t hear. Now, you’re watching the TV. You can no longer hear the news. Wait, it’s only day 2. Yes, sometimes they even die before that 3-day mark. It’s more than a little inconvenient. You just can’t tell how much battery power you have left in your hearing aids and it’s making you miss out on life. Here are the most likely culprits if your hearing aid batteries die too soon.
A Battery Can be Depleted by Moisture
There aren’t many species that produce moisture through their skin but humans do. It’s a cooling method. We do it to get rid of excess sodium or toxins in the blood. You may also live in a climate that’s moist and humid. This extra moisture can clog the air vent in your device, making it less efficient. Moisture can also mix with the chemicals of the battery causing it to deplete faster. You can avoid moisture-related battery drainage with these steps:
- Moist conditions, like the kitchen or bathroom aren’t a good place to keep your hearing aids
- if your storing them for a few days or more, take the batteries out
- When you store your hearing aids, open the battery door
- A dehumidifier for your hearing aid is helpful
Advanced Hearing Aid Functions Can Deplete Batteries
Modern digital hearing aids help people hear a lot better than ones that you could get just a decade ago. But these extra features can cause batteries to run down faster if you’re not paying attention. Don’t quit using your favorite features. But just know that if you stream music for hours from your smartphone to your hearing aids, you’ll have to change the battery sooner. Your battery can be drained by any of the advanced functions, like multichannel, Bluetooth, noise cancellation, and tinnitus relief.
Altitude Changes Can Impact Batteries Too
Moving from a low to high altitude can drain your batteries, especially if they’re on their older. When skiing, flying or climbing always takes some extra batteries.
Are The Batteries Really Low?
Some models will give you a warning when the battery begins to get too low. These warnings are, under normal circumstances, a “heads up”. They’re not telling you the battery is dead. Additionally, the charge can sometimes drop temporarily due to altitude or environmental changes and that can cause a false low battery warning. In order to stop the alarm, remove the batteries, and then put them back in. The battery might last several more hours or even days.
Improper Handling of Batteries
Wait until you’re ready to use your hearing aid to remove the tab from the battery. Make sure you wash your hands before handling your hearing aids or batteries to avoid getting dirt or hand oil on them. Never freeze hearing aid batteries. This strategy may increase the life of some kinds of battery but it doesn’t work with hearing aid batteries. Simple handling mistakes such as these can cause hearing aid batteries to drain more quickly.
Buying a Year’s Supply of Batteries Isn’t a Very Good Plan
Buying in bulk is often a smart money move when you can afford to do it. But the last few batteries in the pack most likely won’t have full power. Try to stay with a 6-month supply or less unless you’re okay with wasting a few.
Buying Hearing Aid Batteries on The Web
It’s not a general criticism of buying stuff on the internet. You can get some good deals. But some less scrupulous people will sell batteries on the internet that are very near to the expiration date. They may even be past their expiration date. So you need to be careful.
There’s an expiration date on both alkaline and zinc batteries. If you were going to buy milk, you would look at the expiration date. You need to use the same amount of caution with batteries. Be sure that the date is not close to the expiration to get the most use out of the pack. If the website doesn’t state an expiration date, send the online vendor a message, or purchase batteries from us. Only purchase batteries from reputable sources.
Current Hearing Aids Are Rechargeable
There are several reasons that hearing batteries could drain quickly. But you can get more life out of your batteries by taking some precautions. 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 day of hearing the next day. And you only have to change them every few years.