Public Display of Deafness

March 7, 2009 2:45 PM

A question of etiquette: Can I change my hearing aid batteries in public? Or do I have to duck into the bathroom?

I'm thinking about both things like work meetings, or social gatherings in bars. My batteries give me some amount of warning (beeping every 20 minutes) when they're ready to go, but I'd usually rather change them right away than wait until I'm by myself (and I don't always get the 2 - 3 hours of warning that I'm supposed to). It's a lot easier to change the batteries on a table than in my hand or my lap, and I'd rather not juggle my purse, battery package, hearing aid and 2 batteries on a bathroom counter if I don't have to.

So, can I just change them in public, or is that not OK behavior? Will people be freaked out by my pulling something out of my ear and messing with it?

posted by still_wears_a_hat to health & fitness (35 comments total)

When I wore a hearing aid, I treated it as a pair of glasses that needed cleaning: do it whenever and wherever you need to do it. I've never received comment one way or another.
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 2:49 PM on March 7 [1 favorite has favorites]

I don't know whether people would be grossed out, but they shouldn't be. I wouldn't see anything wrong with fiddling with a bluetooth earpiece in public. As long as the thing isnt gunky...
posted by GleepGlop at 2:50 PM on March 7

I have no idea what Ms Manners would say about this, but it certainly wouldn't bother me. Now that everybody has an ipod, it's pretty common to see people putting in and taking things out of their ears.
posted by eisenkr at 2:50 PM on March 7

If people are freaked out by that, they've obviously led extremely sheltered lives. If it's more convenient for you to do it on a table, then go for it.
posted by afx237vi at 2:52 PM on March 7

When I was regularly around deaf/hearing impaired people, they'd generally change batteries whenever and wherever they were most comfortable. Most did it at a table if possible, for convenience, but some were self-conscious and went somewhere private to do it.

Nobody I'm aware of ever said anything about it, either way.
posted by Rendus at 2:52 PM on March 7

I don't have a hearing aid, but I do wear a moulded earpiece sometimes for music gigs, and I know they get a little warm and waxy. I think ear-schmutz is a little grosser than glasses-schmutz, so I wouldn't necessarily treat a hearing aid as cavalierly as my glasses. I don't really put my earpiece on formal tables- like I wouldn't disassemble it in a restaurant, during a sit-down meal, or on a conference table. But I think changing the batteries on a more casual surface like a coffee table or at your personal office desk would be fine, though. On a public table, perhaps doing the job on top of a tissue or a piece of paper or a notebook or something like that would be a compromise?
posted by pseudostrabismus at 2:54 PM on March 7

On preview: huh, I didn't consider comparing it to iPod earbuds (I treat my earpiece with more care than my headphones, and consider it a bit grubbier as it sits deeper in my ear canal). I guess given that it's so similar to earbuds, though, maybe it's no big deal and I'm to sensitive about mine. Perhaps my answer above can be ignored.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 2:56 PM on March 7

I've been wearing hearing aids since I was five and it's never occurred to me NOT to change them in public. No one has ever said a word. If anyone objected, I would have a few words to say to them...
posted by desjardins at 3:09 PM on March 7

I was once before a judge in Federal Court in New York. He heard argument on a motion and began to enter a ruling against me from the bench. I asked him for an opportunity to respond to my opponent's argument, hoping to change his mind. He said "sure", and as soon as I thanked him and got up to speak, he took out his hearing aids and began changing the batteries.

I just thanked the Court again and sat back down.

Etiquette can be highly situational.
posted by The Bellman at 3:20 PM on March 7 [4 favorites has favorites]

Lucky... my hearing aids only beep just as they're running out of juice. I don't know what the accepted etiquette is, but I take 'em in and pull 'em out whenever necessary. I hadn't thought of it this way, but I suppose I do treat them like glasses.
posted by onshi at 3:42 PM on March 7

Not something I have ever encountered (besides seeing my mother change her batteries) but I can say I wouldn't find it strange.
posted by mmascolino at 3:48 PM on March 7

I have a real thing about ears, so I would be grossed out. That said, I would never think that person was rude, I would just once again think how weird it is that ears gross me out. Assuming I'm not the only one who feels this way, though, it would probably be kind not to change them right at the table while someone is eating (or at an interview dinner). At a bar or meeting, though? It's their issue not yours.
posted by parkerjackson at 4:32 PM on March 7

I am a diabetic. And sometimes I can't duck into a bathroom to take my medication. But you know, I will stop taking it in public when other people start letting their pancreases only work in bathrooms.
posted by munchingzombie at 4:36 PM on March 7 [1 favorite has favorites]

I never thought of it as gross. Although recently, during a dull meeting at work, a coworker of mine pulled out her hearing aids and changed the battery. She got a lot of looks, but I think it was mostly curiosity, as her hearing aids weren't outwardly visible, so people didn't know what she was doing, and there was nothing else more interesting going on...

If I was at a fancy dinner or best man in a wedding, I might not change them. But otherwise, I don't think there's an issue. You might try to do it as soon as they beep, helping to reinforce that you're doing something necessary.
posted by fogster at 4:46 PM on March 7

By the way, you sound like you're fairly new to wearing hearing aids. You will get more efficient at changing the batteries. I can do it at a stoplight if I need to.
posted by desjardins at 5:08 PM on March 7

It darn well better be OK to change the batteries in public! (As stated above, situations rule; I wouldn't do it at the President's table.)

I'd rather do that than drop the hearing aid in the restroom toilet or that dirty sink!

[That said, I don't have hearing aids yet... I hope to get some soon. I have a genetic hearing deficiency called cookie cutter. Pretty convenient that. There is a bandwidth dropout right in the middle of the human speech frequencies. Great for the "selective hearing"... not so great being accused of using it to forget to take out the trash. :p ]
posted by Drasher at 5:28 PM on March 7

I frequently need to change my hearing aid batteries in public, as they never seem to run out when I'm just sitting around at home. Noooo.. it's always in the middle of a lecture that the damn machines start beeping at me, and they immediately start doing the power drain thing where the sound they produce gets softer and softer.

So at that point, I can leave for 5 minutes or so and change them in the bathroom, or I can try to stick it out and hope my hearing aids don't complete drain by the time I get somewhere I can change the batteries in privacy. The former causes me to minorly disrupt the class twice walking in and out, and also means I'll miss a chunk of what is usually a pretty information heavy talk. The latter means I'll understand less and less as the power winds down, which is, if you as me, a disservice to the person that's usually trying very hard to impart some knowledge that (they, at least) believe to be of use to their audience and, also, I have a hard enough time hearing -- making it harder is something I'd generally like to avoid.

Or, I can just change them there. Which I do. It takes like 30 seconds max when you get good at it. If people look, well, dammit, you know I'd probably look, too. It's one of those things they probably never really think about, but their curiosity is piqued. I've had people use it as an opportunity to ask me about my hearing impairment. They assumed before that I might not like talking about it, but when you do something as obvious as maintenance on your android parts in public, it's pretty clear you are probably open to talking about it.

Now, all that said, I'm pretty touchy when it comes to cleanliness. I don't like putting my hearing aids on any surface that someone else will use. Hearing aid molds get ear wax on them, no way around it. It might not be as messy as taking dentures out of ones mouth and plopping them on the table, but from my admittedly-oversensitive-to-courtesy perspective, I'd rank it about the same. I've mastered the art of changing them in my lap, or in my hands alone if they are both free. If someone is with me, I get them to hold my bag or whatever while I do it. They usually find it intriguing to see the process up close.

Also, wow, sorry that was so long. I'm new to AskMe, so you are all just going to have to suffer while I figure out how to be brief.
posted by article at 5:38 PM on March 7 [1 favorite has favorites]

Sorry, I'm kind of lurking here. And for the record, nope, I wouldn't be offended in the least. But how often do these batteries die out? I get the impression that they have a really short life span. I apologise if I'm butting my head in where it doesn't belong, but I find this thread really interesting.
posted by dancinglamb at 6:02 PM on March 7

Dancinglamb: anywhere from 3 days to 2 weeks. Ish.

I do this; I also do some rather more disgusting things with my hearing aid (clean out the mold, f'rinstance) in public. People have complained about the latter, but never the former.
posted by spaceman_spiff at 6:18 PM on March 7

Spaceman, thanks for the answer about the batteries. My grandmother briefly wore hearing aids, but never quite figured out how to adjust them. Consequently she'd leave them in to squeal in her handbag most of the time. Used to freak the shit out of my cat when she'd come to visit. *sigh* I suspect that she would've been a lot happier if they were properly fitted... (my grandmother, not the cat)

Oh, and ya know, they might have medicine for your, uh, mold. :)
posted by dancinglamb at 6:33 PM on March 7

damn it. that should read: she would leave them in on
posted by dancinglamb at 6:36 PM on March 7

The mold collects all the wax and gunk that accumulates as a result of having a closed ear - it gets warm and moist in there, so, y'know. It's not actually infected.

The cat probably also would've been happier if your grandmother's hearing aids had fit better ;)
posted by spaceman_spiff at 7:40 PM on March 7

As a longtime hearing aid wearer (going on 29 years now) and a licensed HIS (Hearing Instrument Specialist) I have been in your same situation many times. I have also had many clients of all ages ask me how to handle this.

Short Answer: Yes, You can change your batteries whenever you darn well please.

However, consider the following:

Since it's rare when both go out at exactly the same time, you can simply say, "Excuse me a moment..." to your present company and do the switch quickly and efficiently and then continue on normally. Unless you're in the company of people who've never seen a new-fangled hearing device before, you will barely miss a beat.

If you are in the company of people where this might be unusual, or socially awkward, then the great thing about digital hearing aids is that warning "beep."

Consider it not too much different then having to blow your nose, clean your glasses, or clear your throat. Your hearing aids are an extension of you. It's likely that, without them, you could not functionally continue a conversation. Just like you could possibly not read without your glasses, or be miserable without being able to blow your nose. Changing your batteries is hardly as frequent an occurrence nor a potential etiquette concern internationally as the nose-blowing or throat clearing.

You speak in plural, so if you are comfortable with it, do like I do and focus on your speaker or environment a little harder as you take out one hearing aid at a time to swap the batteries and continue on with your life.

I can't honestly imagine anyone being offended, but if they are offended or raise an eyebrow, a simple "Had to change the battery" should suffice.

Seriously, there are way more socially inappropriate things that have become more commonplace and acceptable. This isn't even going to ping most radars.
posted by emjay at 7:51 PM on March 7

If you wear hearing aids of the model *BEEP* that give a warning *BEEP* tone every ten *BEEP* seconds when the battery *BEEP* is running low, and then *BEEP* when it's really low *BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP* continuously, you'd change the battery in public too.

Not on topic: why batteries last such a short time, especially if you (as I do) have a hearing impairment that requires you to use them continuously.
posted by bad grammar at 9:07 PM on March 7

Not sure I'd even notice someone doing this, and if I did, I'd just feel mild curiosity. I would certainly not be upset or offended. I have bad allergies, and I'm sure my frequent nose-blowing and coughing is much more disgusting/irritating to people than your battery-changing would be.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 10:29 PM on March 7

Yeah, if anybody comments negatively on you changing your hearing aid batteries in public I'd tell them where to go. Especially because some people, as bad grammar mentions, have aids that beep frequently when the battery is low and OH MY GOD you just want to make it stop as quickly as possible. The beep on mine may well be the most annoying sound I ever hear.

I doubt anybody is going to call you out on, yknow, managing your disability. And I doubt even more that any normal person would persist if you politely and assertively explained to them that it's easier for you to change the battery on a table/while not juggling a heap of stuff. Hell, just tell them you don't want to drop the thing (I've dropped and broken a hearing aid before while changing the battery in a less than ideal environment - it's not fun facing an audiologist with a $3000 mess of plastic and wires, ugh)

Not on topic: why batteries last such a short time, especially if you (as I do) have a hearing impairment that requires you to use them continuously.

What I want to know is why we can't get rechargeable hearing aid batteries. Mine often don't last longer than a day or two and since I have two hearing aids, I can spend over $10 a week just to hear properly. Argh.
posted by narrativium at 12:30 AM on March 8

After reading the responses, it's clear that your question is more about etiquette, less than practicality. Etiquette questions always get a range of responses: one person's discretion is another person's gross out. Some people don't care about offending, and some are more sensitive to it.

So for me it depends on the situation. I think messing with my in-the-ear aid should be made discreet if any attention is on me. In a lecture hall I'd probably change right there in my seat, but I'd excuse myself from a dinner table to change it.
(BTW, the warning 'beep' gives me that option, my older hearing aids didn't give me that option).

Another derail question: why are hearing aids so outrageously priced, when they are really very low tech compared to our computers and other tech?
posted by artdrectr at 12:48 AM on March 8

I have worn hearing aids for 29 years (since I was 4). I always change them when I need to change them, particularly as most people do not know how to project their voice when I can't hear them. I have periodically held them close to my body when doing so, as they do frequently have a bit of ear goo on them. But no, I don't worry about changing them whenever, and I would even do so at the President's dinner.

As desjardins mentioned, it sounds like you may be a new hearing aid wearer. You will eventually be able to change them quite easily - I have had to do it one-handed periodically.

It's funny that people mention the beeping - I have had my current hearing aids since 2000. My hearing aid specialist keeps bugging me to get new ones, but on a humble teacher's salary that's out of the question for now. Insurance doesn't help at all and as mentioned by artdrectr the prices are crazy. I could get a new Mac Pro for less than a new pair of hearing aids.
posted by Slothrop at 8:23 AM on March 8

If I remember to have a package of batteries along, I will change them anywhere. Even in a market, before I pay for the package. It's not like I flaunt my dirty earmolds but you can do it so that people don't get much of a look. It's better than not hearing and it's never given me any awkardness.
posted by Danf at 8:26 AM on March 8

Thanks, everyone. Yes, I'm a pretty new hearing aid wearer. Like a lot of people mentioned, the price was a huge shock. The electronics involved just can't be that expensive.
posted by still_wears_a_hat at 9:32 AM on March 8

ANSWERS:
Not on topic: why batteries last such a short time, especially if you (as I do) have a hearing impairment that requires you to use them continuously.
posted by bad grammar

Every device has a different battery drain. If you have excessive drain and batteries don't last at least a week, you likely need to have your aid serviced - and specifically mention the battery drain.



What I want to know is why we can't get rechargeable hearing aid batteries. Mine often don't last longer than a day or two and since I have two hearing aids, I can spend over $10 a week just to hear properly. Argh.
posted by narrativium

I'm sure others can provide all the tech specifics of batteries, but the majority of hearing aid batteries cost less than $1 per. I wear 2 aids, 24 hours a day and thats under $100 per year. See above note for excessive battery drain.


Another derail question: why are hearing aids so outrageously priced, when they are really very low tech compared to our computers and other tech?
posted by artdrectr


I took a hiatus from IT and got licensed to learn more about my own hearing loss (congenital) I am not currently in the hearing aid profession because it is a SALES business and I'm more of a SERVICE guy. So - to answer your questions:

1) They are overpriced because they are essentially dealerships, just like car dealers. You have the main company (dealership) and several locations under the same dealer with one or more salesmen(specialists) to each location. Sometimes you have smaller mom-n-pop type shop who work with several manufacturers or dealers, but pricing stays the same. The average hearing aid costs about $2000. Only about $500 of that goes to the manufacturer, the rest is to the dealer and to the specialists who fit and sell the aids.

2) You'd be surprised how high tech the newest digital hearing aids are. But here's where it gets finicky. Some hearing loss doesn't require all the bells and whistles to correct. It really depends on your loss, and sometimes all the extras provide little or no benefit. Only seeing an audiologist (who doesn't dispense/sell) will give you the most objective review of your loss. Not to mention, different brands/manufacturers as well as different fits of aid may be able to better improve your hearing. Problem is, the specialist may over-prescribe for the condition(commission) and most people try to buy cheap (partly due to the sales tactics).


Personally, I always prescribed 3 solutions for every patient.
1) Best correction at minimal cost
2) Best correction plus bells and whistles that might be appropriate
3) Best correction available at low-cost, which was usually about half of #1, but also usually only about 5--60% of the corrective capability too.


9 out of 10 people choose 3.

That's like buying eyeglasses or contacts that are the wrong prescription. And they wonder why "these hearing aids don't work right"


If you've ever thought that about your hearing aids, ask yourself:

1) Did I buy the proper fit of hearing aid and does it still fit right?
2) Do I return to my specialist for tuning and checkups to make sure it is programmed properly (at least 3 visits in the first 3 months after initial fit and 1 or 2 times a year thereafter)
3) Did I buy what I thought was cheaper for my wallet or better for my ears?
posted by emjay at 7:12 PM on March 8

My cousin changed his battery while we were in a restaurant, earlier in the year. I didn't even consider that it was remotely inappropriate - I wouldn't even have really noticed if his son hadn't wanted to fuck around with the battery holder.

I agree with the person that said to treat it like glasses and just do what you need to do - when I wore glasses I didn't think twice about cleaning them, wherever I was, if they need it.
posted by The Monkey at 8:35 PM on March 8

Usually when I change my batteries in public (especially in a lecture / classroom), people don't notice the hearing aids themselves, as they are the very small behind-the-ear type, so much as the case. I keep a spare set of batteries in the case that came with my hearing aids, which is an asymmetrical white and pea green teardrop shape and so seems to catch people's attention. On three separate occasions I have been asked if it was some sort of artsy high-end MP3 player. No one has ever let on that they were icked out by the fact that I was pulling something out of my ear canal, fiddling around, and shoving it back in... but mine is a generation that grew up widely sharing earbuds (yum) with each other so YMMV.

As far as cost is concerned, in addition to emjay's car dealership comparison, consider the relatively small market (though apparently growing thanks to boomers and earbud victims) for hearing aids as compared to other similarly miniaturized electronic devices. Development and set-up costs for manufacturing have to be spread across fewer units sold, and then magnify that by the various markups between factory and consumer. I also get the feeling that product lines are devised in the same way as with high-end computer graphics cards, where the whole range is based on one design with features disabled in the lower-end versions rather than added onto the fancier models. I could be mistaken about that, though.

I felt a bit like a chump when I first ordered my current hearing aids, strolling through the nearby Best Buy and finding that the pair of them cost approximately as much as some of the nicest flat screen TVs on display. But they've made a much bigger impact on my quality of life than would a new television... and glasses cost about as much a nice iPod these days, so I just sucked it up. Not that I don't dread having to buy new hearing aids eventually, but at least my insurance will partially cover them next time. Some day I'll strike it rich and get some that work with bluetooth... *rolls eyes*
posted by onshi at 6:28 AM on March 9

The real question is why doesn't insurance pay for hearing aids when it pays for glasses?
posted by desjardins at 10:16 AM on March 9

Onsh said:i
I also get the feeling that product lines are devised in the same way as with high-end computer graphics cards, where the whole range is based on one design with features disabled in the lower-end versions rather than added onto the fancier models. I could be mistaken about that, though.
But they've made a much bigger impact on my quality of life than would a new television... and glasses cost about as much a nice iPod these days, so I just sucked it up. Not that I don't dread having to buy new hearing aids eventually, but at least my insurance will partially cover them next time. Some day I'll strike it rich and get some that work with bluetooth... *rolls eyes*
posted by onshi

Onshi - While I can't speak for all manufacturers, there are differences in the circuits used in each brand/model line. As I said, some types will fit a specific hearing loss better than others, but the digital variations offer more fine-tuning (think - equalizer) than the analogs (think volume control dial).

Yes, they have a much bigger impact on your quality of life, which is why it hurt to see people try to buy the bargain fit or get one when they really needed two for better comprehension

There are models that work with bluetooth, also others with remote controls, and still others that allow for attachments (I have an older model that has a little clip on for an am/fm radio which has it's own mini-remote)

desjardins said:
The real question is why doesn't insurance pay for hearing aids when it pays for glasses?
posted by desjardins

desjardins - this is sort of covered by onshi's comment about it being a small market. While, granted, it is growing... the numbers don't pan out very well.

Consider this:
1) The average person purchasing insurance that includes offsets or riders for hearing aids almost definitely NEED the hearing aid(s). And depending on the type of aid and fit, you may need a new hearing aid within 3-5 years. (They take a lot of abuse)
2) The cost of hearing aids (retail) is significantly higher than glasses or contacts
3) The lack of sheer numbers and volume of policy holders for hearing aids is so much smaller than say, health insurance, that it's probably not a profitable line to insure. Humana, and only a few others offer basically a cost offset of about $500 every few years.

At best, the cost offset makes a bargain pair very cheap ($250-1000)and a proper fit slightly less expensive ($1500-5000)

I'm currently walking around with $4800 in each ear ($4800x2=$9600 retail). These were top of the line 4 years ago, but they are ailing. Even being maintained by a professional (me) with all the tools and gadgets at my disposal (I bought many of them for personal use before I left the industry) Time, sweat, regular use and normal wear and tear and mechanical and electronic malfunction will eventually require me getting a replacement. Even if they had longer life spans, they have reached the limit of their capability. My hearing loss is severe, though I am not considered deaf. These are digital aids maxed out to best fit my hearing loss and provide the maximum comprehension for me. While they might still be adjusted to work excellently for someone with a less severe loss, I'll have to pony up and get some new ones within a year just like anyone else.
posted by emjay at 1:08 PM on March 9