Do your hearing aid batteries seem to drain faster than they ought to? There are several reasons why this may be taking place that may be unexpected.
How long should hearing aid batteries last? From 3 to 7 days is the typical period of time for charge to last.
That’s a very wide range. So wide, in fact, that it’s unpredictable and leaves you in a serious predicament.
You could be on day 4 at the supermarket store. All of a sudden, you can’t hear anything. The cashier is talking to you but you don’t hear what they are saying.
Or, you’re out for lunch with friends on day 5. Suddenly, you find yourself feeling really alone because you can no longer follow what your friends are saying.
Maybe you go to your grandchild’s school to watch a play. You can no longer hear the kids singing. Wait, it’s only day 2. Yes, sometimes they even drain before the 3rd day.
It’s not simply inconvenient. You’re losing out on life because you’re not sure how much power is left in your hearing aids.
Here are 7 possible culprits if your hearing aid batteries drain quickly.
Your Battery can be killed by moisture
Producing moisture through our skin is one thing that human beings do that the majority of other species don’t. You do it to cool down. It also cleans the blood of excess toxins and sodium. On top of this, you might live in a rainy humid environment where things get even wetter.
This extra moisture can clog the air vent in your device, affecting the hearing aid’s efficiency. It can even kill the battery directly by interacting with the chemicals that make electricity.
Here are several steps you can take to avoid moisture-caused battery drain:
- Before going to bed, open up the battery door
- Don’t leave the batteries in if you’re storing them for several days
- Don’t store your hearing aids in the kitchen or bathroom
- Use a dehumidifier
State-of-the-art hearing aid features can drain batteries
Modern 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 should stop using these amazing features. But just know that if you stream music for hours from your smartphone to your hearing aids, you’ll need to replace the battery sooner.
Noise-canceling, Bluetooth, multichannel, tinnitus relief — all of these extra features can drain your battery.
Batteries can be affected by altitude changes
Going from a low to high altitude can drain your batteries, particularly if they’re low already. Make sure you bring some spares if you are in the mountains or on an aircraft.
Perhaps the batteries aren’t actually drained
Many hearing aids will alert you when the batteries need to be replaced. Generally, these alerts are giving you a “heads up”. They’re not telling you the battery is dead. Additionally, you may get a warning when the charge takes a dip because of an altitude or humidity change.
You can turn off the alarm by removing and resetting your hearing aid. There may be hours or even days of juice left.
Handling the batteries improperly
You should never pull off 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 handling them. Never freeze hearing aid batteries. This might increase the life of other batteries but that’s not the case with hearing aid batteries.
Hearing aids will drain more quickly if you mishandle them in these ways.
Buying a year’s supply of batteries isn’t a good idea
It’s often a practical financial choice to purchase in bulk. But as you get toward the end of the pack, the last several batteries likely won’t last as long. Try to limit yourself to a 6-month supply or less unless you’re okay with the waste.
Buying hearing aid batteries from the internet
This isn’t a broad criticism of buying things online. You can find lots of bargains. But some less honest individuals will sell batteries on the internet that are very near to the expiration date. Or 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 look at the date it expires. The same goes with batteries. Be certain that the date is well in the future to get the most usage out of the pack.
If you purchase 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 seller specifies when the batteries will expire. Only purchase batteries from trustworthy sources.
Hearing aid batteries drain quickly no longer
There are numerous reasons that hearing aid batteries could drain quickly. But by taking small precautions you can get more power from each battery. You may also consider rechargeable hearing aids if you’re in the market for a new set. You dock these hearing aids on a charger each night for an entire day of hearing the next day. Every few years, you will need to replace the rechargeable batteries.