Are Your Hearing Aid Batteries Draining Too Fast?

Hearing aids can offer an improvement to your quality of life that is undoubtedly worth investing in, and a hearing instrument specialist (HIS) can help you select the best devices to match your individual needs, as well as provide advice and ongoing care to ensure that you get the best out of them. This includes helping you get the best out of the batteries that you use to power your hearing aids.

Hearing aid batteries run out. There’s no stopping that. But do you feel like yours are draining way too quickly? Here, we’re going to look at what you need to know about hearing aid batteries and what can cause them to lose their charge too fast.

How Long Should They Last?

There are all different types and sizes of batteries you can use for your hearing aids, and they come with different levels of charge, which means they can last for different periods of time. If you want to know specifically how long the types of battery you’re using should last, then you should ask your hearing instrument specialist.

Even the type of hearing aid you’re using, its amplification power, and the different features it has can affect how quickly your batteries drain. However, in general, batteries should last from three to seven days. If they lose their charge quicker than that, there may be an issue to address.

You’re Not Using Them Soon Enough

Batteries lose their charge over time, even when they’re not being used and even before you take their tab off. For that reason, you should make sure that you don’t leave your batteries lying for too long. Always use the batteries that you have had for the longest period of time to reduce the overall loss of charge.

You’re Not Leaving Them in the Right Storage Conditions

Batteries can be sensitive. There is all manner of issues that can affect their level of charge, including moisture, heat and cold. Moisture not only drains their charge but can cause them to corrode, so you want to make sure that you keep them in a specific storage compartment of your hearing aid storage. Furthermore, you should ensure that you keep your hearing aid batteries in cool spaces, not cold areas or spaces prone to getting hot. 

You’re Not Using a Hearing Aid Dehumidifier

As mentioned, moisture is terrible for batteries. Moisture can build up not just on the batteries themselves, but on your hearing aid. Make sure that you’re using a hearing aid dehumidifier to store your device when you’re not wearing them, using batteries efficiently and preventing damage at the same time.

Wash Your Hands Before Handling Batteries

Regardless of whether your hands look and feel clean, tiny bits of dirt and grease can get caught on batteries, reducing their effectiveness. Wash your hands before you take your batteries out, install them, switch them or handle them in general.

Use Your Batteries as Soon as You Remove Their Tab

As soon as you remove the protective seal or tab on your battery, they become activated and start losing its charge. You should let batteries breathe for three to five minutes before installing them, but no longer. What’s more, you should only remove the tabs when you’re ready to use the batteries. After they start breathing, they’re going to start draining. As soon as your battery is activated, you should start using it to make sure you get as much of that charge as possible.

Don’t Keep Your Batteries in Your Hearing Aids When You’re Not Wearing Them

Any time you take off your hearing aids, take your batteries out of them and keep them in a cool, dry place. Keep the battery compartment of your hearing aid open, as well. This way, it can be cleared of any moisture that has been built up, providing that you’re keeping the hearing aid in the dehumidifying storage compartment and not just out in the open air.

Do You Need Some Help?

If you’re having an issue with your hearing aids and their batteries, and it’s nothing mentioned above, then there could be a malfunction with the device that your hearing instrument specialist might be able to help with. If you still don’t know why your hearing aid batteries are dying so fast, then you should get in touch with Byron’s Hudson Valley Hearing Aid Centers, call us today at 845-481-9267, 845-232-2147 and 845-481-9266 and arrange for a visit to the office to take a closer look at the problem.