Does it seem like your hearing aid batteries drain way too quickly? There are several reasons why this may be happening that might be surprising.
So how far should the charge on my hearing aid battery last? From 3 to 7 days is the standard time-frame for charge to last.
That’s a really wide range. So wide, in fact, that it’s unpredictable and leaves you in a serious situation.
You may be at market on day 4. All of a sudden, you can’t hear anything. You can’t hear the cashier.
Or, you’re out for lunch 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 watch a play. And the kid’s singing goes quiet. Wait, it’s just day 2. Yes, they even occasionally drain after a couple of days.
It’s more than annoying. You’re losing out on life because you don’t know how much power you have left in your hearing aids.
If your hearing aid batteries drain too quickly, look to these seven possible causes.
Your Battery can be drained by moisture
Did you realize that human beings are one of the few species that produce moisture through their skin? It’s a cooling system. It also cleans the blood of excess toxins and sodium. Your battery could be exposed to even more moisture if you live in a humid or rainy place.
The air vent in your device can become clogged by this extra moisture which can result in less efficient functionality. It can even interact with the chemicals that make electricity causing it to drain even faster.
Prevent battery drain caused by moisture with these steps:
- Keep your hearing aids in a place where moisture is minimum
- Don’t leave the batteries in if you’re storing them for several days
- A dehumidifier is helpful
- Open the battery door before storing the hearing aids
State-of-the-art hearing aid functions can run down batteries
Current digital hearing aids help people hear so much better than ones that came out only a decade ago. But when these sophisticated features are in use, they can be a draw on battery power.
Don’t stop using your favorite features. But be aware that the battery will drain faster if you spend all day streaming music from your phone to your hearing aids.
Noise-canceling, Bluetooth, multichannel, tinnitus relief — all of these added functions can drain your battery.
Altitude changes can affect batteries too
Your batteries can be quickly depleted when you have a quick climb in altitude, and if they’re already low this is especially true. When flying, climbing, or skiing remember to bring some spares.
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’re not telling you the battery is dead. On top of this, sometimes an environmental change in humidity or altitude 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 might 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. Make sure you wash your hands before handling your hearing aids or batteries to avoid getting hand oil or dirt on them. Don’t ever freeze hearing aid batteries. This may extend the life of other batteries but it doesn’t work 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 great idea
It’s often a practical financial decision to purchase in bulk. But as you get toward the end of the pack, the last several batteries most likely won’t last as long. Try to stick with a 6-month supply or less unless you’re fine with the waste.
Buying hearing aid batteries from the internet
We’re not suggesting it’s always a bad idea to purchase things online. You can find lots of bargains. But some less honest people will sell batteries online that are very near to the expiration date. Or even worse, it has already passed.
Both alkaline (AA, AAA, etc.) and zinc hearing aid batteries have an expiration date. You wouldn’t buy milk without looking at when it expires. You shouldn’t forget to check the date on batteries either. If you want to get the most out of your battery, make sure the date is well into the future.
If you purchase your batteries at a hearing aid store or pharmacy, the expiration date will be on the packaging, but if you are going to shop online make sure the seller states when the batteries will expire. Only purchase batteries from reputable sources.
Hearing aid batteries drain quickly no longer
Hearing aid batteries may drain more quickly for numerous reasons. But by taking little precautions you can get more power from each battery. And if you’re thinking of an upgrade, think about rechargeable hearing aids. You dock these hearing aids on a charger every night for a full day of hearing the next day. The rechargeable batteries only need to be swapped out every few years.