Rechargeable hearing aids are designed so that you’ll need to stress 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 stress is understandable and so are the question you might have. A hearing aid is often as important for the enjoyment of a tv show or a movie as it is for a trip to the supermarket or any other part of daily life. It’s essential that a piece of technology functions properly and reliably, especially when it impacts so many facets of life.

What Type of Battery do I Have?

Most modern 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 have to be replaced 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.

How to Care For Your Rechargeable Hearing Aid

For the most part, rechargeable hearing aids do work, and they work well. The reliability of these devices has increased considerably in the last several years, as battery technologies have improved. In order to increase dependability, however, there are some maintenance steps users can take as they would with any other electronic device.

• 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 diminish the capacity of your battery and can interfere with charging in sufficient quantities. That’s why it’s crucial to keep your hearing aids clean and dry especially when connecting your hearing aid to its charging station.
• Be Careful of Wires: Most hearing aids will contain a wire element of some kind, either on the charging station or on the hearing aids themselves. Most hearing aid users are advised to be mindful of these wires; do not pull or hold your device by these wires as this will damage the connections that allow your hearing aid to charge.
• Keep Your Hearing Aids on The Charging Station: If your hearing aids have rechargeable batteries, you can increase your device’s battery life by ensuring that you regularly store your hearing aids on their charging station. Charging a battery that is not completely drained does not reduce the long term life of your battery. In fact, you can actually enhance the life of the battery by making certain your hearing aids are charging while not in use. For lots of people, setting their charging station next to their bed is a simple reminder to charge the devices when it’s not being used.

How to Change a Rechargeable Battery

If you have lithium-ion batteries, they will probably last as long as your device does. As a result, you shouldn’t have to worry about changing those batteries. Simply continue recharging your hearing aids as long as necessary.

However, you will need to occasionally replace the batteries if you have a hearing aid that uses silver-zinc batteries. The lifespan of your battery can be increased by replacing them in the correct way. As such, most people who use these hearing aids are counseled to:

• Let the batteries sit out at room temperature for at least five minutes before taking off any tabs that might be attached.
• Clean and free of moisture is the state that your battery compartment should be kept in.
• Before replacing batteries, be sure you wash your hands.
• Keep batteries in a room temperature spot that is also certain to be dry.
• Until you’re ready to use the batteries, don’t remove the plastic tabs or packaging.

Long Periods of Non-Use

Keeping your hearing aids on the charger over extended periods of time is no longer the way to store your hearing aids. Simply unplug your hearing aid and put it in a dry cool spot if, for example, you know you won’t be wearing them for several weeks or a month.

Think about leaving the battery door open so you can stop moisture from corroding the batteries if you have silver-zinc 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 requirements. To get 24 hours worth of battery life with a lithium-ion battery will usually only require 3-4 hours every day.

Do rechargeable hearing aids work? Not only do they work, but rechargeable hearing aids will very likely become more and more common and dependable as the technology continues to develop. Schedule an appointment with your local hearing aid retailer to see all the different models