Do your hearing aid batteries seem to die faster than they ought to? There are several reasons why this might be taking place that may be surprising.
So how long should the charge on my hearing aid battery last? The standard hearing aid battery lasts anywhere from 3 to 7 days.
That range is rather wide. But it’s so wide that it’s unpredictable and might leave you in a bind.
You may be at market on day 4. Out of the blue, you can’t hear anything. You don’t hear the cashier.
Or it’s day 5. You’re enjoying a night out with friends. All of a sudden, you can’t hear the conversation and it’s leaving you feeling rather alone.
Now, you’re attending your grandchild’s school play. You can no longer hear the kids singing. But it’s only day 2. Yes, they even occasionally drain after a couple of days.
It isn’t only inconvenient. You’re missing out on life because you don’t know how much juice is left in your hearing aids.
If your hearing aid batteries drain too quickly, check out these seven possible culprits.
Your Battery can be drained by moisture
Producing moisture through our skin is one thing that human beings do that the majority of other species don’t. It’s a cooling system. It also cleans the blood of excess toxins and sodium. Your battery could be exposed to even more moisture if you live in a humid or rainy setting.
This extra moisture can clog up the air vent in your device, affecting the hearing aid’s efficiency. It can even drain the battery directly by interacting with the chemicals that produce electricity.
Prevent battery drain caused by moisture with these steps:
- A dehumidifier is helpful
- Keep your hearing aids in a spot where moisture is at a minimum
- If you’re storing your hearing aids for a prolonged time period, remove the batteries
- Open up the battery door before you store your hearing aids
Advanced modern features are power intensive
Current digital hearing aids help people hear so much better than ones that came out just 10 years ago. But these extra features can cause batteries to drain faster if you’re not paying attention.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use these amazing features. But just know that if you stream music for hours from your smartphone to your hearing aids, you’ll need to change the battery sooner.
Noise-canceling, Bluetooth, multichannel, tinnitus relief — all of these extra features can drain your battery.
Altitude changes can affect batteries as well
Your batteries can be drained quickly when you have a quick climb in altitude, and if they’re already low this is especially true. When flying, climbing, or skiing always takes some spares.
Is the battery really drained?
Many hearing aids will warn you when the batteries need to be replaced. These warnings, as a general rule, aren’t telling you that your batteries are dead, they’re simply a heads up. In addition, you may get a warning when the charge drops because of an altitude or humidity change.
You can stop the alarm by removing and resetting your hearing aid. There could be hours or even days of juice left.
Handling the batteries incorrectly
You shouldn’t remove the little tab from the battery before you’re ready to use it. Hand oil or dirt can be an issue for batteries so wash up before you handle them. Keep your batteries away from the freezer. It doesn’t increase their life as it might with other kinds of batteries.
Simple handling errors like these can make hearing aid batteries drain quickly.
Overstocking on batteries isn’t a good plan
It’s often a practical financial decision to purchase in bulk. But you can anticipate that the last several batteries in the pack won’t last as long. It can be a waste to buy any more than a 6 month supply.
Buying hearing aid batteries from the internet
This isn’t a general criticism of buying things on the internet. You can get some really good deals. But some less honest people will sell batteries online that are very close to the expiration date. Or worse, it has already gone by.
Most kinds of batteries, including hearing aid batteries, have expiration dates. When you purchase milk, you wouldn’t forget to check the date it expires. The same goes with batteries. In order to get the most out of your battery, be certain the date is well into the future.
If the website doesn’t declare an expiration date, message the seller, or buy batteries at a pharmacy or hearing aid center where you can see it on the box. Only buy batteries from trustworthy sources.
The batteries in hearing aids no longer drain quickly
There are several reasons that hearing aid batteries may drain quickly. But by taking little precautions you can get more power from each battery. You may also consider rechargeable hearing aids if you’re shopping for a new set. You will get an entire day of power after every night of recharging. Every few years, you will have to replace the rechargeable batteries.