Batteries have become a major part of our everyday lives in the past century. Today, almost everything we use from cell phones to watches and even our cars are run by batteries. Thankfully, most of these batteries are either too large to ingest or completely enclosed, making concerns about swallowing them unnecessary. However, there are still many devices which use button batteries. These button batteries are often around the same size as a standard pill and can be accidentally ingested by children and even adults.
A recent law came into effect last year which requires all pill batteries to have child protective packaging to reduce chance of accidental ingestion. This new law is called Reese’s Law and is named after a young girl from Lubbock, TX who died after swallowing a button battery. When ingested, the chemicals in button batteries can eat away at internal organs and cause serious injury or even death. Prompt medical attention is needed once there is realization that a battery has been ingested as, depending on the battery type and amount of charge left, the battery may need to be surgically removed to prevent severe injury or death.
In the world of hearing aids, most new aids are now rechargeable. However, many people continue to use disposable button batteries. Thankfully, most hearing aid batteries today are zinc-air batteries, which are less dangerous than others, such as lithium ion batteries. However, they can still cause severe health concerns when swallowed. It is, therefore, important to ensure all hearing aid batteries are properly stored and out of reach of children or other older adults who could easily mistake the batteries for pills.
One way to make this scary situation less likely is to simply get rechargeable batteries for any new hearing aid purchase. If you are someone who has children around the house or if the aids will be around someone with dementia or vision loss, the best protection is to keep the batteries from being in the household in the first place. However, not all patients are able to switch to rechargeable for varying reasons. Because of this, there are other safety measures you can consider to help prevent such a tragic event.
First of all, make sure all hearing aid batteries are somewhere that children cannot easily access. This can be in a high cabinet, a locked room, or even a small locked case. New hearing aid battery packaging will make battery removal more challenging by requiring the use of two hands to remove a battery. But, this is not a failsafe. When hearing aids are not being worn, they should also be stored somewhere that children cannot access. Never allow any child to play with hearing aids.
In the case of someone who has many prescriptions they need to take, ensure that you do not keep the batteries near the medications. One common scenario with older adults is to get a battery mixed in with the routine medications and take it, along with the other medications, accidentally. Placing a towel under the area where the battery is being replaced can also help you keep track of batteries so they are less likely to get lost on the floor where a child may find it and eat it. Hearing aids and medications should always be stored and managed in separate areas of the home to prevent accidental ingestion.
With any button battery, if ingestion is known or even suspected, it is important to follow-up at an emergency room right away. There, the physicians will be able to complete x-rays to determine if a battery really has been ingested and where it is within the digestive tract. If possible, bring the battery packaging so the doctors will know what type of battery has been ingested. Some batteries are less dangerous than others and only require monitoring to ensure it passes through the entire system. Others, such as those containing mercury or lithium, must be dealt with more quickly to ensure minimal damage to the body.
Reese’s law is intended to make accidental ingestion of button batteries less likely to occur. The new packaging may be harder to work with, but if it saves lives, it is worthwhile. Deciding to purchase aids with rechargeable batteries will limit the likelihood of dangerous battery ingestion. If this isn’t possible, be very careful with the batteries to ensure they do not get mixed up with medications and that they stay far away from those who may ingest them.
If you, or any one you know, would like to discuss rechargeable hearing aids, please feel free to contact Oro Valley Audiology to schedule an appointment. This year, let’s do our best to keep the children and adults we love safe from accidental button battery ingestion.
