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 go? The typical 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 predicament.
You may be at the store on day 4. Suddenly, things get quiet. You don’t hear the cashier.
Or, you’re out for dinner with friends on day 5. All of a sudden, you can’t hear the discussion and it’s leaving you feeling rather alone.
Maybe you go to your grandchild’s school to see a play. And the kid’s singing goes quiet. But it’s only day 2. Yes, occasionally they even die before the 3rd day.
It’s more than inconvenient. You’re missing out on life because you’re not sure how much juice you have left in your hearing aids.
Here are 7 likely causes if your hearing aid batteries drain quickly.
Your Battery can be killed by moisture
Releasing moisture through our skin is one thing that humans do that the majority of other species don’t. It’s a cooling system. It also helps clear the blood of excess toxins and sodium. On top of this, you might live in a rainy humid environment where things get even wetter.
The air vent in your device can get clogged by this extra moisture which can cause less efficient performance. It can even interact with the chemicals that generate electricity causing it to drain even faster.
Here are a few steps you can take to prevent moisture-caused battery drain:
- Get a dehumidifier
- Don’t keep your hearing aids in the kitchen or bathroom
- If you’re storing your hearing aids for a prolonged period of time, remove the batteries
- Open the battery door before storing the hearing aids
Sophisticated modern features are power intensive
Even 10 years ago, hearing aids were a lot less helpful for individuals with hearing loss than current devices. But these extra functions can cause batteries to drain more quickly 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 for hours from your smartphone to your hearing aids, you’ll need to change the battery sooner.
Noise-canceling, Bluetooth, multichannel, tinnitus relief — all of these extra functions can drain your battery.
Altitude changes can affect batteries as well
Your batteries can be quickly depleted when you have a rapid climb in altitude, and if they’re already low this is particularly true. When flying, climbing, or skiing always takes some spares.
Is the battery actually drained?
Some hearing aids tell you when the battery is getting low. Generally, these alerts 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 drop and the low battery alarm gets triggered.
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.
Incorrect handling of batteries
You should never remove 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. Keep your batteries away from the freezer. This may 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 wise financial decision to purchase in bulk. But you can anticipate that the last several batteries in the pack won’t last as long. Try to stick with a 6-month supply or less unless you’re fine with the waste.
Online battery vendors
We’re not saying it’s automatically a bad idea to purchase things on the internet. You can find lots of bargains. But you will also come across some less honest vendors who will sell batteries that are close to or even past their expiration date.
Most kinds of batteries, including hearing aid batteries, have expiration dates. You wouldn’t buy milk without looking at when it expires. The same goes with batteries. Be certain that the date is well in the future to get the most use out of the pack.
If the website doesn’t state an expiration date, message the seller, or purchase batteries at a pharmacy or hearing aid store where you can see it on the packaging. Only purchase batteries from trustworthy sources.
The batteries in hearing aids no longer drain quickly
There are several reasons that hearing aid batteries might drain quickly. But you can get more power from each battery by taking small precautions. You might also think about rechargeable hearing aids if you’re shopping for a new set. You put these hearing aids on a charger each night for an entire day of hearing the next day. Every few years, you will need to change the rechargeable batteries.