Do your hearing aid batteries seem to die quicker than they should? There are several reasons why this might be occurring that might be unexpected.
So how far should the charge on my hearing aid battery last? The standard hearing aid battery lasts anywhere from 3 to 7 days.
That range is pretty wide. But it’s so wide that it’s unpredictable and might leave you in a bind.
You could be at the store on day 4. All of a sudden, you can’t hear anything. You don’t hear the cashier.
Or, you’re out for dinner with friends on day 5. Suddenly, you find yourself feeling very alone because you can no longer follow what your friends are saying.
Now, you’re attending your grandson’s school play. And the kid’s singing disappears. But it’s only day 2. Yes, they even sometimes die after a couple of days.
It’s more than inconvenient. You have no clue how much juice is left and it’s causing you to miss out on life.
Here are 7 likely culprits if your hearing aid batteries drain quickly.
Moisture can drain a battery
Producing moisture through our skin is one thing that human beings do that most other species don’t. You do it to cool down. You do it to eliminate extra sodium or toxins in the blood. On top of this, you may live in a rainy humid climate where things get even wetter.
This extra moisture can clog up the air vent in your device, affecting the hearing aid’s efficiency. It can even interact with the chemicals that generate electricity causing it to drain even faster.
Avoid battery drain related to moisture with these steps:
- Before you go to bed, open up the battery door
- Keep your hearing aids in a spot where moisture is at a minimum
- If you’re storing your hearing aids for an extended time period, remove the batteries
- Use a dehumidifier
Sophisticated modern features are power intensive
Even 10 years ago, hearing aids were much less helpful for people with hearing loss than current devices. But these added functions 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 all day from your smartphone to your hearing aids, you’ll need to replace the battery sooner.
Noise-canceling, Bluetooth, multichannel, tinnitus relief — all of these added features can drain your battery.
Batteries can be affected by altitude changes
Your batteries can be drained quickly when you have a quick climb in altitude, and if they’re already low this is particularly true. Make sure you bring some spares if you are in the mountains or on an aircraft.
Is the battery actually drained?
Some hearing aids let you know when the battery is low. As a general rule, these alerts are giving you a “heads up”. They aren’t telling you the battery is dead. On top of this, sometimes an environmental change in altitude or humidity briefly causes the charge to drop and the low battery alarm gets triggered.
Take the hearing aids out and reset them to quiet the alarm. You may be able to get several more hours or even days from that battery.
Incorrect handling of batteries
You should never pull off the little tab from the battery before you’re ready to use it. Make sure you wash your hands before handling your hearing aids or batteries to avoid getting hand oil or dirt on them. Keep your batteries out of the freezer. It doesn’t extend 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 wise financial choice to purchase in bulk. But you can expect that the last several batteries in the pack 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 suggesting it’s always a bad idea to purchase things online. You can get some really good deals. But some less honest individuals will sell batteries on the internet that are very near to the expiration date. Or even worse, it has already gone by.
Both alkaline (AA, AAA, etc.) and zinc hearing aid batteries have an expiration date. When you buy milk, you wouldn’t forget to look at the date it expires. The same goes with batteries. In order to get the most from 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 labeling, but if you’re going to shop on the internet be sure the vendor specifies when the batteries will expire. Only purchase batteries from reputable sources.
The batteries in hearing aids no longer drain quickly
Hearing aid batteries may drain more quickly for numerous reasons. But by taking little precautions you can get more energy from each battery. You might also consider rechargeable hearing aids if you’re in the market for a new pair. You dock these hearing aids on a charger every night for a full day of hearing the next day. The rechargeable batteries only have to be replaced every few years.