There are many parts of your hearing aid that work together to help you hear well at The Daily, but all these parts would be useless without the battery. Most batteries last between three and seven days, depending on a number of factors including the style of hearing aid, size of battery, number of hours you use your hearing aids, how often you stream and how you care for your batteries. To maximize the lifespan of your hearing aid batteries, follow our tips below.
Store Your Batteries at Room Temperature
It’s a myth that storing batteries in the refrigerator or freezer can extend their life. Instead, doing so can introduce moisture that reduces battery life. Similarly, high temperatures can also deplete batteries, so avoid storing them any warm place like a hot car or near a heating vent.
Don’t Open Batteries Until You’re Ready to Use Them
Disposable zinc-air batteries used in hearing aids are activated by exposure to oxygen. This is why it’s important to leave them in their package until you’re actually ready to use them. As soon as they’re open, they will start losing their power.
Let Your Batteries Sit for Two to Five Minutes
After you open the packaging and pull the tab on your batteries, the experts at Charleston ENT & Allergy recommend letting them sit for two to five minutes to fully activate before putting them in your hearing aid.
Open Your Battery Door at Night
When you take out your hearing aids for the night, make sure you open the battery door. This turns your hearing aids off and saves battery life. It also allows moisture to evaporate, which can also impact battery life, and reduces risk of the battery corroding.
Use Your Oldest Batteries First
The longer your hearing aid batteries sit in storage, the shorter their lifespan will be. To prevent your spare batteries from getting too old, always use the oldest ones first.
Wash Your Hands Before Handling Batteries
Dirt, grease and grime from your hands can be transferred to your batteries if you don’t wash them first, which can negatively impact battery life as well as your hearing aid.
For more information on the benefits of hearing aids or to schedule an appointment with a hearing aid expert, call Charleston ENT & Allergy today.