Understanding the Life-span of Hearing Aid Batteries

There are many circumstances that can cause how rapidly hearing aid batteries are used. The condition of your hearing aid batteries affects how long the batteries last before needing to be changed, the hearing aid’s general efficiency, the quality of sound in speech, and the quality of the streamed audio.

What impacts your hearing aid battery life?

1. Your own individual hearing loss. If you have severe hearing loss, you will need hearing aids with more powerful amplification. When your hearing aids have to work harder for that amplification, the battery will quickly drain.

     2.  The frequency of hearing aid use. Just as your smartphone
          battery gets used up when you text or use social media apps, 
          your hearing aid batteries will be used up faster the more you
          use your hearing aids.     

     3.   How you use your hearing aids. Hearing aids are primarily
           meant to help you hear missing frequencies better. When you
           add elements like wireless streaming for phone calls, movies,
           or music, the battery will drain faster. The rate of battery drain
           can increase up to 300 percent with wireless streaming.
           Additionally, if you use FM or looping technology, there can be
           a 100 percent increase in drain rates.

     4.  Tinnitus technology. Modern hearing aids usually include
          tinnitus technology, which helps relieve tinnitus symptoms.
          This is often done by using sound to cover the symptoms.  
          Hearing aids that combat tinnitus, are also increasing their                  general workload. As a result, the use of the hearing aid
          batteries increases.

      5.  Weather conditions. Changing seasons that have extreme
           temperatures, snow,  and humidity, can cause hearing aid
           batteries to operate differently. The two main weather
           conditions that may affect the battery life are humidity and
           temperature.

          -Low humidity may result in higher battery drain, because the
           batteries are drying out quicker.
         
          -High humidity may bring moisture into the hearing aid, which             can cause leakage, swelling, and a shorter battery life.
         
          -Low temperatures may reduce the life of a battery. Voltage 
           can drain earlier, mainly for those who have to wear hearing
           aids outside during the winter season.
         
          -High temperatures can impact the performance of batteries,
           if the surrounding environments get up to 90-100 degrees
           Fahrenheit, and/or the humidity levels are more than 50
           percent.  

      6. The distance you are above sea level. Elevation may impact 
          the battery life of your hearing aids. Greater altitudes may
          cause batteries to reach their limits because of the
          environment’s reduced oxygen. Hearing aid wearers who live
          in higher altitudes will probably drain their batteries quicker. If
          you are flying in an airplane, and the battery is already low, it
          may drain faster.

      7. It’s best to take your hearing aid batteries out at night.          
          Leaving the batteries in your hearing aids, when you are not
          wearing them drains their life faster.
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If you need to replace your hearing aid batteries, stop by one of our Pure Sound Hearing Aids locations to purchase a fresh pack of batteries.

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