Do your hearing aid batteries seem to die quicker than they ought to? There are several reasons why this may be occurring that might be unexpected.
So how long should the charge on my hearing aid battery last? The ordinary hearing aid battery lasts anywhere from 3 to 7 days.
That’s a really wide range. So wide, in fact, that it’s unpredictable and leaves you in a serious situation.
You could be on day 4 at the grocery store. All of a sudden, you can’t hear anything. You can’t hear the cashier.
Or it’s day 5. You’re appreciating a night out with friends. Suddenly, you find yourself feeling very alone because you can no longer hear the conversation.
Now, you’re at your grandson’s school play. You can no longer hear the kids singing. But it’s only day 2. Yes, they even occasionally die after a couple of days.
It’s not simply inconvenient. You have no clue how much juice is left and it’s causing you to miss out on life.
Here are 7 possible causes if your hearing aid batteries drain quickly.
Moisture can kill a battery
Did you realize that humans are one of the few species that discharge moisture through their skin? You do it to cool down. You do it to get rid of extra sodium or toxins in the blood. On top of this, you may live in a rainy humid climate where things get even wetter.
The air vent in your device can become clogged by this excess moisture which can result in less efficient functionality. It can even kill the battery directly by interacting with the chemicals that make electricity.
Here are a few steps you can take to avoid moisture-caused battery drain:
- Store your hearing aids in a place where moisture is minimum
- A dehumidifier can be helpful
- Before going to bed, open the battery door
- If you’re storing your hearing aids for an extended time period, remove the batteries
Sophisticated modern features are power intensive
Modern digital hearing aids help individuals hear so much better than ones that came out only a decade ago. But these extra functions can cause batteries to drain faster if you’re not watching.
Don’t stop using your favorite features. But be aware that the battery will die faster if you spend all day streaming music from your phone to your hearing aids.
Noise-canceling, Bluetooth, multichannel, tinnitus relief — all of these added features can drain your battery.
Batteries can be affected by altitude changes
Going from a low to high altitude can deplete your batteries, especially if they’re on their last leg. When flying, skiing, or climbing remember to bring some spares.
Perhaps the batteries aren’t actually drained
Many hearing aids will alert you when the batteries need to be changed. These warnings, as a general rule, aren’t telling you that your batteries are dead, they’re simply a heads up. Moreover, sometimes an environmental change in humidity or altitude briefly causes the charge to dip and the low battery alarm will sound.
You can stop the alarm by removing and resetting your hearing aid. You may be able to get several more hours or even days out of that battery.
Handling the batteries improperly
You should never remove 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 away from the freezer. This may extend the life of other batteries but that’s not the case with hearing aid batteries.
Simple handling mistakes like these can make hearing aid batteries drain quickly.
Purchasing a year’s supply of batteries isn’t a good idea
Purchasing in bulk is usually a smart money decision when you can afford it. But as you get toward the end of the pack, the last several batteries most likely won’t last as long. It can be a waste to purchase any more than 6 months worth.
Buying hearing aid batteries online
We’re not saying it’s necessarily a bad idea to purchase things online. You can get some really good deals. But you will also come across some less honest vendors who will sell batteries that are near to or even past their expiration date.
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. You shouldn’t do that with batteries either. In order to get the most out of your battery, make sure the date is well into the future.
If you buy your batteries at a hearing aid center or pharmacy, the expiration date will be on the packaging, but if you are going to shop online be sure the seller specifies when the batteries will expire. Only buy batteries from reliable sources.
The batteries in hearing aids no longer drain quickly
Hearing aid batteries might drain faster for numerous reasons. But you can get more energy from each battery by taking small precautions. You might also think about rechargeable hearing aids if you’re in the market for a new set. You dock these hearing aids on a charger each night for a full day of hearing the next day. The rechargeable batteries only have to be swapped out every few years.