How Cold Weather Affects Hearing Aid Battery Life

Plenty of people in Sioux Falls spend cool October mornings walking a stretch of the bike trail along the Big Sioux River. Maybe you start at Falls Park with a friend and head down the trail while you catch up.

About an hour in, your hearing aid gives you that low-battery beep, even though it seemed fine when you left the house. Now your friend is halfway through a story about her grandson and you’re only catching part of it.

Hearing aid batteries don’t like the cold any more than you do. Disposable zinc-air batteries need air to work, and cold, dry air slows them down. Rechargeable hearing aids can lose power outside too, since lithium-ion batteries don’t put out as much when they’re chilled.

Your hearing aids sit right out in the open on your ears, so they cool off faster than your phone in your pocket. As the mornings keep getting colder, you may start noticing that low-battery beep a little earlier each time.

How Cold Air Affects Hearing Aid Battery Power

Disposable zinc-air batteries rely on a chemical reaction to create the power your hearing aids use throughout the day. The battery stays inactive until you remove the colored tab and expose the tiny air holes underneath.

Once the tab comes off, oxygen enters the battery and reacts with the zinc inside. Under normal indoor conditions, that process provides a fairly steady supply of power. Cold temperatures make the reaction less efficient, so the battery may not deliver the same performance outdoors.

You might notice the difference as shorter battery life, an earlier warning tone or a hearing aid that shuts down sooner than expected. The colder the battery gets, the more noticeable that drop in performance may become.

That does not necessarily mean anything is wrong with the hearing aid itself. If the problem shows up mainly during long stretches outside, temperature could be affecting the power source rather than the device.

How Rechargeable and Zinc-Air Batteries Handle Winter

Most current hearing aids use either disposable zinc-air batteries or rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. Both respond to cold weather, but they do not always react in the same way.

Rechargeable batteries may provide less runtime while they are very cold. Once the hearing aids warm back up indoors, that temporary drop often improves. Starting the day with a full charge gives you more reserve if you expect to spend time outside.

Zinc-air batteries also lose efficiency as temperatures fall. They rely on a chemical reaction with oxygen, so cold conditions can reduce how steadily they deliver power.

Dry winter air can affect activated zinc-air batteries too. Temperature, storage conditions and how long the battery has been activated all influence how long it lasts.

What the Sioux Falls Wind Does to Your Hearing Aids

If you’ve lived in Sioux Falls for a while, you know a calm 35-degree day and a windy one feel like two different things. Wind pulls heat away from anything it hits, and that includes the hearing aids sitting out behind your ears.

Wind chill itself does not apply to electronics. A hearing aid will not become colder than the actual outdoor air temperature simply because the wind is blowing. Wind does, however, help the device cool to that temperature faster.

That faster cooling matters when you are outside shoveling, walking the dog or spending time at an outdoor event. A hearing aid that was warm when you left the house may begin showing battery changes sooner on a windy afternoon.

A hat, fleece headband or earmuffs provide some protection from direct wind. Choose something that covers the devices without pressing hard against the microphones, since rubbing fabric can create its own unwanted noise.

Does Hearing Aid Battery Size Change Winter Performance?

Battery size affects how much power a hearing aid has available, but larger batteries are not automatically better at handling cold weather. A size 13 or 675 simply holds more energy than a smaller size 10 or 312, giving it a larger reserve to draw from.

The four common zinc-air sizes are:

• Size 10 with a yellow tab
• Size 312 with a brown tab
• Size 13 with an orange tab
• Size 675 with a blue tab

Keep unopened spare batteries somewhere dry and at a normal indoor temperature rather than leaving them in a freezing vehicle. Leave the tabs attached until you are ready to use them so the zinc-air battery does not activate early.

How to Tell Your Battery Is Getting Low

When the cold gets to your batteries, your hearing aids won’t always just cut out. You might hear the low-battery warning earlier in the day than usual, or they might shut off an hour or two before they normally would.

Streaming may also become less reliable when the battery is running low. One hearing aid might die before the other, especially if the two devices are not using exactly the same amount of power.

Muffled or distorted sound does not always point to the battery. Wax buildup, moisture, receiver problems and other hearing aid issues can cause similar changes. If a fresh battery does not solve the problem, something else may need attention.

The age of unopened batteries matters too. Check the expiration date before putting a spare pack in your travel bag or winter coat. Keeping fresh batteries indoors with the tabs attached helps preserve them until you are ready to use them.

Condensation Can Cause Problems After You Come Back Inside

Coming indoors after spending time in freezing weather creates a sudden temperature change for your hearing aids. The devices may still be cold even though the room around you is warm.

As the hearing aids warm back up, moisture may collect on or around the casing. Some of that moisture may also reach openings, contacts or the battery compartment. The risk depends on how cold the devices became and how much moisture is in the indoor air.

That dampness can interfere with the battery contacts or other electrical components. You might notice sound cutting in and out, a device shutting down or performance that seems inconsistent shortly after coming inside.

For hearing aids with disposable batteries, opening the battery door after you come inside gives the compartment a chance to dry. Wipe away any visible moisture with a clean, dry cloth before closing the door again.

The Glove Box Is a Bad Place for Spare Batteries

Keeping an extra package of hearing aid batteries in the car sounds convenient until winter temperatures settle in. A glove box or center console may stay extremely cold for hours while the vehicle sits outside.

Zinc-air batteries don’t do well sitting in really hot or really cold places for long. Keep the unopened packs somewhere around room temperature, and leave the little stickers on until you’re ready to pop a new one in.

Leaving a pack in the car on a cold night won’t wreck them all right away. But if it keeps happening, you’ll never quite know how long a battery is going to last.

Simple Winter Habits That Protect Your Hearing Aids

Cold temperatures, wind and moisture all affect hearing aids differently, so winter care does not need to revolve around one complicated routine. A few consistent habits help limit exposure and reduce the chances of moisture or power problems.

Useful winter habits include:

• Wear a beanie, thermal headband or earmuffs that shield the hearing aids without pressing tightly against the microphones.
• Let a newly activated zinc-air battery sit for several minutes after removing the tab before placing it in the hearing aid.
• Keep unopened spare batteries indoors at room temperature instead of storing them in the car.
• Wipe visible moisture from the hearing aids and battery compartment after coming inside.
• Use a drying system recommended for your hearing aids if moisture is a recurring problem.

Rapid Battery Drain May Point to a Hearing Aid Problem

Cold weather becomes a less likely explanation when fresh batteries keep dying quickly indoors. A sudden change in battery life that continues at normal room temperature deserves a closer look.

Corrosion or moisture around the battery contacts can interfere with power delivery. Internal circuit problems may also draw more current than the hearing aid normally uses. Damage to a battery door or contact can create similar trouble.

Wax, debris or a blocked microphone does not usually drain a battery simply because the amplifier has to “work harder.” Those problems are more likely to affect sound quality than create dramatic battery loss.

An audiologist can inspect the contacts, check for moisture or corrosion and test how much current the device is drawing. If the battery itself is not the problem, that testing helps narrow down what is causing the unusually fast drain.

Keeping Your Hearing Aids Going on Chilly Walks Along the Big Sioux

You don’t have to skip your walk to keep your hearing aids running. A hat or headband over your ears can also help keep them from getting as cold. When you get home, let them warm up and dry out before you put them back on the charger.

At Baker Audiology & Hearing Aids in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, we can test your batteries and charger. If your hearing aids are dying sooner than they should even indoors, we’ll figure out why.

We’d like you to hear the end of every story on your next walk by the falls. Call us at (605) 610-3466 to schedule a visit.