Does it seem as if your hearing aid batteries drain way too quickly? There are several reasons why this might be occurring that may be unexpected.
How long should hearing aid batteries last? From 3 to 7 days is the standard amount of time for charge to last.
That’s a very wide range. But it’s so wide that it’s unpredictable and might leave you in a bind.
You could be on day 4 at the supermarket store. All of a sudden, you can’t hear anything. You don’t hear the cashier.
Or it’s day 5. You’re enjoying a night out with friends. Suddenly, you find yourself feeling very alone because you can no longer hear the conversation.
Maybe you go to your grandchild’s school to watch a play. You can no longer hear the children singing. But it’s only day 2. Yes, they even sometimes drain after a couple of days.
It’s more than inconvenient. You have no clue how much power is left and it’s causing you to miss out on life.
Here are 7 likely causes if your hearing aid batteries drain quickly.
Your Battery can be killed 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. You do it to remove excess sodium or toxins in the blood. In addition, you may live in a humid or rainy climate where things get even wetter.
This excess moisture can clog the air vent in your device, making hearing aids less efficient. It can even interact with the chemicals that produce electricity causing it to drain even faster.
Avoid battery drain caused by moisture using these steps:
- Keep your hearing aids in a place where moisture is minimum
- Open up the battery door before storing the hearing aids
- Get a dehumidifier
- If you’re storing your hearing aids for an extended period of time, remove the batteries
State-of-the-art hearing aid features can run down batteries
Even a decade ago, hearing aids were much less helpful for people with hearing loss than current devices. But when these advanced features are being used, they can be a draw on battery power.
Don’t stop using your favorite 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.
All these extra functions, like Bluetooth, tinnitus relief, or multichannel, can drain the battery more quickly.
Batteries can be impacted by altitude changes
Going from a low to high altitude can drain your batteries, especially if they’re low already. Make sure you bring some spares if you are in the mountains or on a plane.
Perhaps the batteries aren’t 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. Moreover, sometimes an environmental change in humidity or altitude briefly causes the charge to dip and the low battery alarm gets triggered.
You can turn off the alarm by removing and resetting your hearing aid. You may be able to get several more hours or even days from that battery.
Improper handling of batteries
You shouldn’t remove the little tab from the battery if you’re not ready to use it. Always wash your hands before handling your hearing aids or batteries so you don’t get hand oil or dirt on them. Keep your batteries out of 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.
Overstocking on batteries isn’t a good plan
Purchasing in bulk is often a smart money choice when you can afford to do it. But you can expect that the last few batteries in the pack will drain faster. Try to limit yourself to a 6-month supply or less unless you’re fine with the waste.
Buying hearing aid batteries online
We’re not suggesting it’s necessarily a bad idea to buy things online. You can get some great deals. But some less scrupulous individuals will sell batteries on the internet that are very close to the expiration date. Or worse, it has already passed.
Most kinds of batteries, including hearing aid batteries, have expiration dates. When you purchase milk, you wouldn’t forget to look at the date it expires. You shouldn’t forget to check the date on batteries either. Be certain that the date is well in the future to get the most use out of the pack.
If the website doesn’t declare an expiration date, message the seller, or buy batteries at a pharmacy or hearing aid store where you can see it on the packaging. Make sure you check reviews to be certain you’re purchasing from a reliable source.
The batteries in hearing aids no longer drain quickly
Hearing aid batteries may drain more quickly for several reasons. But by taking small precautions you can get more power from each battery. You might also think about rechargeable hearing aids if you’re in the market for a new pair. You will get a full day of power after every night of recharging. The rechargeable batteries only need to be replaced every few years.