Rechargeable hearing aids are designed so that you’ll have to worry less about running low on batteries, but the technology might also make you slightly anxious when you depend on your devices to hear. Do rechargeable hearing aids work as well as marketed or do they even work at all?
The anxiety is reasonable and so are the question you might have. A hearing aid is often as important for the enjoyment of a television show or a movie as it is for a trip to the grocery store or any other part of daily life. When a piece of technology impacts so many areas of your life, it’s essential that it functions correctly and reliably.
What Type of Battery do I Have?
Most contemporary hearing aids are equipped with rechargeable batteries by default, so it’s likely if you bought your hearing aids recently, it has one of two kinds of batteries. Silver-zinc batteries, which have a battery door on the back, are rechargeable, but the batteries may need to be changed every now and then. A Lithium-ion battery, however, will not have a battery door because the batteries will last as long as the hearing aid does.
Rechargeable Hearing Aids Need Special Care
For the most part, rechargeable hearing aids do work, and they work well. As battery technology has improved in the last several years, the dependability of these devices has increased considerably. And, like any other electronic device, however, there are various easy maintenance steps that users can follow to improve the reliability of their rechargeable hearing aids.
- Keep Your Hearing Aids Clean and Dry: Your hearing aids will collect debris, dust, and moisture regardless of how often you use them. Any combination of these three elements can undercut the capacity of your battery and can obstruct charging in sufficient quantities. That’s why it’s essential to keep your hearing aids clean and dry especially when connecting your hearing aid to its charging station.
- The Charging Station is Where Your Hearing Aids Should be Stored: If you regularly store your rechargeable hearing aids on their recharging station you can extend the life of your battery. Charging a battery that is not completely drained does not diminish the long term life of your battery. As a matter of fact, you can actually improve the battery life by making certain your hearing aids are charging while not in use. A simple reminder, for many people, to charge their device when it’s not used, is to set the charging station on a table next to their bed.
- Be Mindful of Wires: Either the hearing aid itself or the charging station will have some type of wire element on most hearing aids. Being mindful of these wires is crucial for hearing aid users; the connection that enables the device to charge can be broken if you pull on or hold it by the wires.
How to Change a Rechargeable Battery
Lithium-ion batteries should last the lifespan of your device. Because of this, you should not have to worry about changing those batteries. Your hearing aids can then be simply charged as long as necessary.
However, you will want to occasionally replace the batteries if you have a hearing aid that utilizes silver-zinc batteries. The longevity of your battery can be increased by replacing them in the correct way. Because of this, hearing experts recommend the following:
- Clean and free of moisture is the state that your battery compartment should be kept in.
- Until you’re ready to use the batteries, don’t remove the plastic tabs or packaging.
- Ensure you wash your hands before replacing your hearing aid batteries.
- Let the batteries sit out at room temperature for at least five minutes before removing any tabs that might be attached.
- Keep batteries in a room temperature place that is also sure to be dry.
Long Periods of Non-Use
If you are planning not to use your hearing aids for long amounts of time, leaving them on the charger may no longer be the best manner to store your devices. If, for example, you know that you won’t be using your hearing aids for a few weeks or months, you can just remove the charger and put your hearing aids in a dry and cool spot.
If your hearing aids utilize silver-zinc batteries, you might also think about leaving the battery door open in order to prevent moisture from corroding your batteries.
Rechargeable for Everyday Use
For most individuals, and for day to day use, charging your hearing aids once per day should be enough for all of your needs. To get 24 hours worth of battery life with a lithium-ion battery will usually only require 3-4 hours per day.
Do rechargeable hearing aids work? Not only do they work, but rechargeable hearing aids will very likely become a lot more common and dependable as the technology continues to improve. Make an appointment with your local hearing aid retailer to see all the different models