Dos and Don’ts for Hearing Aid Batteries

Hearing aids can be expensive; therefore, you want to make sure that you are taking proper care of them. This, and the fact that they are a requirement in your day to day life. When looking after your hearing aid, you want to ensure that you are following the correct practices in terms of the batteries that are within them. If these are not functioning correctly, your hearing aid is potentially useless. So what are the top do’s and don’t for hearing aid batteries that you should follow?

Firstly, the dos:

1) Make sure that you store your hearing aid batteries at room temperature

Hearing aids, as with most tech need to be kept at a constant temperature. If they are kept in a cold place, they might malfunction. Similarly, if they are left out in the sun or next to a heat source, the battery could become fried or the hearing aid itself might melt. Both of these drastic climates will make the batteries life decrease and will lower the overall performance of them – resulting in you having to replace the hearing aid or the battery within them as soon as possible. If you need to take your hearing aid out for any reason, put it in a safe place away from direct sunlight – for example, in a drawer.

2) Buy high-quality batteries

Hearing aids are essential to your everyday life. Therefore you want to ensure that the battery within them will last and are durable. You shouldn’t cut corners when it comes to the batteries – as the cheaper the batteries, the quicker they will need replacing. Those of a low-quality also have a higher chance of encountering technical issues.

3) Turn your hearing aid off during the night

One of the mistakes made by many is that they leave their hearing aid on overnight. This will drain the batteries and also cause a nuisance as they will pick up sounds during the night when you are trying to sleep. This has the benefit of you not having to replace the batteries often.

4) Carry spare batteries with you just in case

This is particularly important if you are going on a long trip or if you are away from home for a long time. There is a chance after wearing your hearing aid/s for a while that the batteries within them will die. You want to make sure that you are prepared for this and carrying a spare/a few spare batteries. You don’t want to miss out on a conversation or a special event because your batteries have died after all.

5) Peel the tab/sticker off the batteries

This will expose the battery contacts to the air. This has the benefit of charging the batteries and will help to extend their lifespan.

6) Invest in a battery tester

This is a must for anyone that has just recently got a hearing aid. A battery tester is not only quite inexpensive, but they will allow you to monitor the performance of your batteries. This way, you can see if they need replacing soon and if they are performing the best they possibly can.

7) Make sure to open the battery door

This should not only be done at night when you take off your hearing aid but for general use as well because it allows the battery contacts to remain dry, which helps to lengthen their lifespan.

Secondly, the don’ts:

1) Make sure that you don’t forget to check the batteries expiration dates

As with all batteries, hearing aid batteries have an expiration date. You should check this before you put it into your hearing aid – especially if you have purchased them a while ago. If they have expired, they simply might not work, or the battery fluid could have leaked.

2) Make sure not to put the batteries anywhere near a magnetic field

Something that might not come into everyone’s minds is that they shouldn’t store the batteries anywhere near a magnetic field. This means, not next to a computer or a magnet – as this can severely damage their performance and how long they last.

3) Make sure that you pull the battery tabs out when you are ready to use them

If you pull it out before you are ready to use them, it can result in the battery life decreasing as you are not making full use of them.

4) Make sure you don’t keep your batteries somewhere dangerous

For example, where a pet or a child could reach them. They can be incredibly dangerous if swallowed – as any batteries are – therefore you need to make sure that you store them in a safe place when you aren’t using them that isn’t in harm’s way. Want to find out more? Call the Hearing Wellness Centre today at (844) 663-9433, and we will guide you on which hearing aid batteries to purchase and are on-hand to help with any inquiries you have.