I accidentally swallowed a hearing aid battery. Should I be worried?

YES, YES, and YES! This is a question that often comes up during new fittings and follow ups. On the back of every package of hearing aid batteries there is a warning about the danger of battery consumption and a phone number you can call --you can even call it collect--202-625-3333. Batteries can cause serious damage to your esophagus if they get hung up on the way to your stomach.

Here are the steps you should follow:

• Immediately call you physician. If you don't have a primary care physician, go the the emergency room.
• DO NOT TRY to induce vomiting. Stay away from the ipecac syrup.
• If you have time and are our patient, call the office and let us know what happened so that we can also contact your physician or the emergency room.
  • Also take along the battery package. It's not a requirement, but it will be helpful.
• You need an x-ray of the throat, chest, and stomach. If the battery is still in the throat/esophagus area, it will need to be removed immediately using a special type of fiber optic tool, endoscope. Damage to the esophagus can occur in as little as one hour.
• If the battery moved to your stomach, then you will need to monitor your elimination to ensure that it passes in the stool. If you don't notice it after a week you will need another X-ray.

If have placed a link here to the National Capital Poison Center. This is the contact for the phone number listed above. In addition, I placed a link here (about 70kb's to download). to a pdf document that you can download to your computer.

Hearing Aid Batteries

All batteries are toxic and dangerous if swallowed. Keep all batteries (and hearing aids) away from children and pets. If anyone swallows a battery it is a medical emergency and the individual needs to see a physician immediately.

One question often asked is “How long does the battery last?” Typically they last 7-14 days based on a 16 hour per day use cycle. Batteries are very inexpensive, costing less than a dollar each. Generally, the smaller the battery size, the shorter the battery life. The sizes of hearing aid batteries are listed below along with their standard number and color codes.

Size 5: RED

Size 10 (or 230): YELLOW

Size 13: ORANGE

Size 312: BROWN

Size 675: BLUE

Today’s hearing aid batteries are “zinc-air.” Because the batteries are air-activated, a factory-sealed sticker keeps them “inactive” until you remove the sticker. Once the sticker is removed from the back of the battery, oxygen in the air contacts the zinc within the battery, and the battery is “turned-on”. Placing the sticker back on the battery will not prolong its life. Since many of today’s automatic hearing aids do no have “off” switches, removing the battery at night assures that the device is turned off. Zinc-air batteries have a “shelf life” of up to three years when stored in a cool, dry environment. Storing zinc-air hearing aids in the refrigerator has no beneficial effect on their shelf life, in fact, quite the opposite may happen. The cold air may actually form little water particles under the sticker. Water is made of oxygen and hydrogen. If the water vapor creeps under the sticker, the oxygen may contact the zinc, and the battery could be totally discharged by the time you peel off the sticker! Therefore, the best place to store batteries is in a cool dry place, like the back of your sock drawer, not the fridge!

For More Information on Hearing Aid Batteries CLICK HERE.