Stressing about losing battery power is something you shouldn’t have to do with rechargeable hearing aids, but when you rely on this technology, it may make you slightly concerned. Do rechargeable hearing aids work as well as advertised or do they even work at all?
Those questions are reasonable, as is the accompanying stress. A hearing aid is often a necessary element of one’s day-to-day life, as necessary for a simple visit to the grocery store as they are for the enjoyment of a television show or movie. It’s important that a piece of technology functions correctly and reliably, especially when it affects so many aspects of life.
What Type of Battery do I Have?
Most modern-day hearing aids have rechargeable batteries by default, so if you got your hearing aids recently it’s likely that your hearing aids will have one of two battery types. Silver-zinc batteries, which have a battery door on the back, are rechargeable, but the batteries might have to be changed every now and then. A Lithium-ion battery, however, will last throughout the life-cycle of the hearing device and, due to this, those devices will not have that distinguishing battery door.
How to Care For Your Rechargeable Hearing Aid
For the most part, rechargeable hearing aids do work, and they work well. The dependability of these devices has increased dramatically in the last few years, as battery technologies have advanced. As it is with any other electronic device, however, there are a few easy maintenance procedures that users can take to improve the dependability of their rechargeable hearing aids.
- Keep Your Hearing Aids Dry and Clean: Your hearing aids will collect debris, dust, and moisture regardless of how often you use them. Your hearing aid may not thoroughly charge if it is exposed to any of these three elements. When connecting your hearing aid to your charging station, as with any other time, it’s essential to keep your device clean.
- Store Your Hearing Aids on The Charging Station: If your hearing aids have rechargeable batteries, you can extend your device’s battery life by ensuring that you regularly store your hearing aids on their charging station. The long term battery life is not shortened by charging a battery that is not fully drained.In fact, ensuring that your hearing aids are charging when not in use can actually maximize your long-term battery life. A convenient reminder, for many people, to charge their device when not used, is to set the charging station on a table near 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. Most hearing aid users are advised to be mindful of these wires; the connection that enables the device to charge can be damaged if you pull on or hold it by the wires.
How to Change a Rechargeable Battery
If you have lithium-ion batteries, they should last as long as your device does. Consequently, you should not need to worry about changing those batteries. Simply continue recharging your hearing aids as long as needed.
However, you will need to occasionally change the batteries if you have a hearing aid that uses silver-zinc batteries. Switching batteries in the correct way can help improve the longevity of your hearing aids. Because of this, hearing experts recommend the following:
- Clean and free of moisture is the state that your battery compartment should be kept in.
- Before changing batteries, be sure you wash your hands.
- Let the batteries sit out at room temperature for at least five minutes before removing any tabs that might be attached.
- Don’t remove any plastic tabs or packaging until you’re ready to use batteries.
- Make sure you have a dry, room temperature spot to keep your batteries.
Non-Use For Long Periods
Keeping your hearing aids on the charger for extended periods of time is no longer the best way to store your hearing aids. If, for example, you know that you won’t be wearing your hearing aids for several weeks or months, you can just unplug the charger and store your hearing aids in a cool and dry place.
Consider leaving the battery door open so you can prevent moisture from corroding the batteries if you use silver-zinc batteries.
Rechargeable for Everyday Use
For most people, and for everyday use, charging your hearing aids once per day should be sufficient for all of your needs. A lithium-ion battery, for example, will usually require just 3-4 hours to charge enough battery power for a 24 hour period.
Do rechargeable hearing aids work? Not only do they work, but rechargeable hearing aids will likely become much more common and dependable as the technology continues to develop. To see all the different models, contact your local hearing aid retailer.