Do you feel like your hearing aid batteries won’t keep a charge as long as they should? Here are some unexpected reasons that might happen.How long should hearing aid batteries last? Anywhere from 3 to 7 days is normal. That’s a really wide range. As a matter of fact, it’s so wide that it probably doesn’t help you predict what should be happening with your hearing aid. Things could suddenly get quiet when you’re trying to hear the cashier at the supermarket after 4 days of battery power. Or perhaps on day 5, you’re having an enjoyable conversation with friends when you unexpectedly feel very alone because you can’t hear what anyone is saying. Now, you’re watching the 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 simply can’t tell how much battery power your hearing aids have left and it’s causing you to miss out on life. If your hearing aid batteries are dying too rapidly, there are a few likely culprits.
Moisture Can Drain a Battery
There aren’t very many species that release moisture through their skin but humans do. We do it to cool down. We do it to clear out excess toxins or sodium in the blood. You may also live in a climate that is moist and humid. This excess moisture can clog the air vent in your device, making it less reliable. It can even deplete the battery directly by interacting with the chemicals which generate electricity. Here are some measures you can take to avoid moisture-caused battery drain:
- Open the battery door before storing the hearing aids
- Don’t keep your hearing aids in the bathroom, kitchen or other damp environments
- if your storing them for a number of days or more, take the batteries out
- A dehumidifier for your hearing aid is beneficial
Advanced Hearing Aid Functions Can Drain Batteries
You get a much better hearing aid now than you did even 10 years ago. But if you’re not keeping your eye on them, these advanced functions can cause faster battery drain. Don’t stop using your favorite features. But bear in mind, you will need to change the battery sooner if you are streaming music from your phone all day. Noise-canceling, Bluetooth, multichannel, tinnitus relief — all of these extra features can deplete your battery.
Batteries Can be Affected by Altitude Changes
Moving from a low to high altitude can drain your batteries, particularly if they’re on their older. Bring some extra batteries if you are going on a plane or high up into the mountains.
Are The Batteries Really Low?
Some hearing aids let you know when the battery is low. These alerts are, ordinarily, a “heads up”. They’re not telling you the battery is depleted. In addition, sometimes an environmental change in humidity or altitude briefly causes the charge to drop and the low battery alert gets activated. In order to stop the alarm, take the batteries out, and then put them back in. You might be able to get a few more hours or 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. Make sure you wash your hands before touching your hearing aids or batteries to avoid getting hand oil or dirt on them. Hearing aid batteries should never be frozen. It doesn’t lengthen their life as it could with other kinds of batteries. Hearing aid batteries might lose battery power quicker if you make these basic handling mistakes.
Purchasing a Year’s Supply of Batteries Isn’t a Very Good Plan
If you can afford to do it, buying in bulk can be a smart plan. But as you get toward the end of the pack, the last several batteries likely won’t last as long. Try to stay with a 6-month supply or less unless you’re fine with wasting a few.
Shopping For Hearing Aid Batteries Online
This isn’t an over-all critique of buying stuff online. You can get some good deals. But some batteries that you can find on the internet are being sold by less honest people and are close to their expiration date. Or even worse, it has already passed. So you need to be careful.
There’s an expiration date on both zinc and alkaline batteries. If you were going to buy milk, you would check the expiration date. You need to do that with batteries also. Make sure that the date is well in the future so that you can get the most use out of the pack. It’s probably a good idea to message the vendor if you don’t see an expiration date or better yet, come see us for your battery needs. Only purchase batteries from trusted sources.
Now You Can Get Rechargeable Hearing Aids
Hearing aids may drain too quickly for a number of reasons. But you can get more life out of your batteries by taking some precautions. If you’re looking to buy a new pair of hearing aids, you might decide on a rechargeable model. You dock them on a charger every night for a full day of hearing the next day. And you only need to replace them every few years.