Do you feel as if your hearing aid batteries won’t keep a charge as long as they should? The reasons for this are sometimes surprising.What is the average period of time that your hearing aid batteries should keep a charge? Anywhere from 3 to 7 days is standard. That range is pretty wide. So wide, in fact, that it’s unpredictable and puts you in a challenging predicament. Things might suddenly go quiet when you’re trying to hear the cashier at the supermarket after 4 days of battery power. Or it’s day 5 and you’re enjoying a call with friends when suddenly you find yourself feeling really alone because you can no longer follow the conversation. Now, you’re watching the TV. You can no longer hear the news. Hold on, it’s only day 2. Yes, occasionally they even die before that 3-day mark. It’s more than a little inconvenient. You simply can’t tell how much battery power you have left in your hearing aids and it’s making you miss out on life. If your hearing aid batteries are draining too rapidly, there are several likely causes.
Moisture Can Drain a Battery
There aren’t very many species that produce moisture through their skin but humans do. It’s a cooling method. It’s the body’s way of ridding the blood of toxins and sodium. In addition, you may live in a humid or rainy climate where things get even more moist. The air vent in your hearing aid can get clogged by this additional moisture and it will be less reliable. Moisture can also interact with the chemicals of the battery causing it to deplete faster. Here are a few steps you can take to avoid moisture-caused battery drain:
- Moist conditions, like the kitchen or bathroom are not a good place to keep your hearing aids
- Obtain a dehumidifier for your hearing aids
- Open the battery door when you store the hearing aids
- if your storing them for a few days or more, take the batteries out
Batteries Can be Drained by Advanced Hearing Aid Features
You get a much better hearing aid now than you did even a decade ago. But if you’re not keeping your eye on them, these advanced features can cause faster battery drain. You can still use your favorite features. But just know that if you stream music for hours from your mobile device to your hearing aids, you’ll need to change the battery sooner. Your battery can be depleted by any of the advanced features, like Bluetooth, multichannel, noise cancellation, and tinnitus relief.
Batteries Can be Affected by Altitude Changes
Your batteries can be drained if you go from low to high altitudes specifically if they are already low on juice. When flying, skiing or climbing always takes some extra batteries.
Are The Batteries Really Low?
Some models will give you an alert when the battery begins to get too low. These warnings are, under normal circumstances, a “heads up”. It doesn’t mean you have a depleted battery. Additionally, the charge can occasionally dip briefly due to environmental or altitude changes and that can trigger a false low battery warning. In order to end the alarm, take the batteries out, and then put them back in. You might be able to get several more hours or possibly even days out of that battery.
Improper Handling of Batteries
You should not remove the little tab from the battery before you’re ready to use it. Refrain from getting skin oil and dirt on your hearing aid by cleaning your hands before touching them. Don’t ever freeze hearing aid batteries. This technique might extend the life of some types of battery but it doesn’t work with hearing aid batteries. Hearing aid batteries may lose battery power faster if you make these basic handling mistakes.
It isn’t a Good Idea to Buy a Year’s Supply of Batteries
When you can afford to do it, purchasing in bulk can be a smart plan. But as you get toward the end of the pack, the last few batteries most likely won’t be at full power. Try to stay with a 6-month supply or less unless you’re fine with the waste.
Purchasing Hearing Aid Batteries on The Internet
Buying from the web can be a good thing. You can get some good deals. But some batteries that can be found on the internet are being sold by less honest individuals and are close to their expiration date. They may even be past their expiration date. So you need to be careful.
There’s an expiration date on both alkaline and zinc batteries. You shouldn’t buy milk without looking at the expiration. You need to do that with batteries too. Make sure that the date is well in the future to get the most use out of the pack. If the website doesn’t specify an expiration date, message the vendor, or buy batteries directly from us. Make sure you know and trust the seller.
Now You Can Get Rechargeable Hearing Aids
There are several reasons that hearing batteries might drain quickly. But by taking some precautions you can get more life from each battery. If you’re looking to buy a new set of hearing aids, you might decide on a rechargeable model. If you charge them while you sleep, you get a full day of power the next day. And you only have to replace them every few years.