The great strides in hearing instrument design can be partially attributed to the tiny batteries that power sophisticated digital systems. However, this capability comes with a potential price. To young children, button batteries look like shiny coins. And as young children are prone to do, they often put things in their mouths that pose a danger. A swallowed button battery may become lodged in the esophagus, where it introduces an electrical current that flows through the tissue without children betraying any signs of obvious injury. The number of small children treated in emergency rooms for swallowed batteries has nearly doubled in the past two decades. Hearing instrument users must do their part to prevent these occurrences.
P.S. Batteries of all types should be kept out of sight of small children, just as pills, household cleaners, and sharp objects are.
Hearing aids can help most people with mild to moderate hearing loss in both ears. For more severe hearing loss, cochlear implants can help. For more information, or to schedule an exam, please call EAR & HEARING CLINIC. As registered members of the college of audiologists and Speech Language Pathologists of Ontario, we are among the highest qualified regulated hearing health care professionals in Canada. “Hear the Sound of Life.”
