Does it seem like your hearing aid batteries lose their charge too quickly? Here are a few surprising reasons that could happen.How long should hearing aid batteries keep a charge? Anywhere from 3 to 7 days is normal. That’s a really wide range. So wide, in fact, that it’s unpredictable and leaves you in a challenging predicament. You may be on day 4 at the grocery store when out of the blue, things go quiet and you’re unable to hear the cashier. Or it’s day 5 and you’re having a call with friends when suddenly you find yourself feeling really alone because you can no longer hear the conversation. Now, you’re watching TV. You can no longer hear the news. Wait, it’s only day 2. Yes, sometimes they even drain before that 3-day mark. It’s not just inconvenient. You’re missing out on life because you don’t know how much battery power you have left in your hearing aids. Here are the likely culprits if your hearing aid batteries die too soon.
Moisture Can Drain a Battery
Did you know that humans are one of the few species that produce moisture through their skin? We do it to cool down. It’s the body’s way of ridding the blood of toxins and sodium. On top of this, you may live in a rainy or humid climate where things are even more moist. The air vent in your hearing aid can get clogged by this extra moisture and it will be less efficient. Moisture can also interact with the chemicals of the battery causing it to deplete faster. Here are a few measures you can take to prevent moisture-caused battery drain:
- Don’t keep your hearing aids in the bathroom, kitchen or other moist conditions
- Get a dehumidifier for your hearing aids
- Don’t leave the batteries in if you’re storing them for a number of days
- Open the battery door before storing the hearing aids
Advanced Hearing Aid Functions Can Run Down Batteries
Modern digital hearing aids help people hear a lot better than ones that you could get just ten years ago. But if you’re not paying attention, these advanced functions can cause faster battery drain. You can still use your favorite features. But bear in mind, you will have to replace the battery sooner if you are streaming music from your phone for hours. Your battery can be drained by any of the advanced features, like Bluetooth, multichannel, noise cancellation, and tinnitus relief.
Batteries Can be Affected by Altitude Changes
Moving from a low to high altitude can drain your batteries, particularly if they’re on their last leg. Take some spare 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. As a general rule, these warnings are giving you a “heads up”. They’re not actually saying the battery is dead. In addition, sometimes an environmental change in humidity or altitude briefly causes the charge to dip and the low battery alarm gets activated. Remove the hearing aids and reset them to stop the alarm. The battery might last a few more hours or even days.
Handling Batteries Improperly
Wait until you’re about to use your hearing aid to pull the tab from the battery. Avoid getting dirt and skin oil on your hearing aid by cleansing your hands before touching them. Don’t ever freeze hearing aid batteries. It doesn’t increase their life as it could with other types of batteries. Hearing aid batteries may lose battery power quicker if you make these basic handling mistakes.
It’s Not a Good Idea to Buy a Year’s Supply of Batteries
If you can afford to do it, purchasing in bulk can be a smart idea. But the last few batteries in the pack most likely won’t have full power. Try to stay with a 6-month supply or less unless you’re okay with wasting a few.
Purchasing Hearing Aid Batteries on The Web
Buying from the web can be a good thing. There are some really great deals out in cyberspace. But some less honest people sell batteries online that are very close to the expiration date. They may even be past their expiration date. So you need to be cautious.
There’s an expiration date on both alkaline and zinc batteries. You shouldn’t buy milk without looking at the expiration date. You need to use the same amount of caution with batteries. If you’re going to get the most out of your pack, be certain the date is well in the future. If the website doesn’t mention an expiration date, message the vendor, or purchase batteries directly from us. Make sure you know and trust the seller.
Current Hearing Aids Are Rechargeable
There are several reasons that hearing batteries could drain quickly. But you can get more life out of your batteries by taking some precautions. You may also think about rechargeable hearing aids if you’re in the market for a new set. If you charge them while you sleep, you get a full day of power the next day. The rechargeable batteries only have to be changed every few years.