Do your hearing aid batteries seem to die quicker than they should? Here are a few surprising reasons that might happen.
How long should hearing aid batteries last? The ordinary hearing aid battery lasts anywhere from 3 to 7 days.
That range is pretty wide. So wide, in fact, that it’s unpredictable and leaves you in a serious situation.
You may be at market on day 4. All of a sudden, you can’t hear anything. You don’t hear the cashier.
Or it’s day 5. You’re appreciating a night out with friends. All of a sudden, you can’t hear the discussion and it’s leaving you feeling quite alone.
Perhaps you go to your grandchild’s school to see a play. You can no longer hear the children singing. Wait, it’s only day 2. Yes, sometimes they even drain before that 3-day mark.
It’s more than inconvenient. You have no clue how much power is left and it’s causing you to miss out on life.
Here are 7 likely causes if your hearing aid batteries die quickly.
Moisture can drain a battery
Did you know that humans are one of the few species that release moisture through their skin? You do it to cool down. It also cleans the blood of excess toxins and sodium. In addition, you might live in a humid or rainy environment where things get even wetter.
The air vent in your device can become clogged by this excess moisture which can cause less efficient functionality. It can even interact with the chemicals that produce electricity causing it to drain even faster.
Prevent battery drain related to moisture using these steps:
- Don’t keep your hearing aids in the bathroom or kitchen
- A dehumidifier is helpful
- Before you go to bed, open up the battery door
- Take the batteries out if you’re storing them for a few days
State-of-the-art hearing aid features can run down batteries
Even 10 years ago, hearing aids were much less helpful for people with hearing loss than modern devices. But when these sophisticated functions are in use, they can be a drain on battery power.
Don’t quit using your favorite features. But be aware that the battery will die faster if you spend hours streaming music from your cellphone to your hearing aids.
All these extra functions, like Bluetooth, tinnitus relief, or multichannel, can drain the battery more quickly.
Batteries can be affected by altitude changes
Going from a low to high altitude can drain your batteries, especially if they’re on their last leg. Make sure you bring some spares if you are in the mountains or on an aircraft.
Is the battery really drained?
Many hearing aids will warn you when the batteries need to be changed. As a general rule, these warnings are giving you a “heads up”. They aren’t telling you the battery is dead. Moreover, sometimes an environmental change in altitude or humidity briefly causes the charge to dip and the low battery alarm gets triggered.
Take the hearing aids out and reset them to stop the alarm. There could be hours or even days of power left.
Incorrect handling of batteries
You should never pull off the little tab from the battery if you’re not ready to use it. Hand oil or dirt can be a problem for batteries so wash up before handling them. Keep your batteries out of the freezer. It doesn’t extend their life as it might with other kinds of batteries.
Hearing aids will drain more quickly if you mishandle them in these ways.
Overstocking on batteries isn’t a good plan
It’s usually a wise financial decision to purchase in bulk. But you can anticipate that the last several batteries in the pack will drain faster. Try to stick with a 6-month supply or less unless you’re fine with the waste.
Buying hearing aid batteries online
We’re not saying it’s necessarily a bad idea to purchase things on the internet. You can find a lot of bargains. But some less scrupulous individuals will sell batteries on the internet that are very near to the expiration date. Or even worse, it has already gone by.
Most kinds of batteries, including hearing aid batteries, have expiration dates. When you buy milk, you wouldn’t forget to check the date it expires. The same goes with batteries. If you want to get the most out of your battery, be certain the date is well into the future.
If you buy your batteries at a hearing aid store or pharmacy, the expiration date will be on the labeling, but if you are going to shop online be sure the vendor specifies when the batteries will expire. Only buy batteries from trustworthy sources.
The batteries in hearing aids no longer drain quickly
Hearing aid batteries might drain faster for numerous reasons. But by taking little precautions you can get more energy from each battery. You may also think about rechargeable hearing aids if you’re in the market for a new pair. You dock these hearing aids on a charger every night for an entire day of hearing the next day. The rechargeable batteries only have to be replaced every few years.
