All About Hearing Aid Batteries: Questions And Answers
Q: What kind of batteries do hearing aids take?
A: Hearing aids take their own style of batteries, which are available in most drugstores. Most major battery company, such as Everlast, Duracell, Eveready and Rayovac, produce their own hearing aid batteries.
Q: How do I know which kind of battery I need?
A: There is quite a variety of hearing aid batteries out there. It might be tough to find the right one. That is why there is a color coded system to help you find the right size.
Look on the back of the old battery. There should be a little color tab. That tells you which size to get. In recent years, it has been made standard by the hearing aid industry.
The sizes are as follows: orange is size 13, brown is 312, yellow is 10 and blue is 675. It also wouldn't hurt to write down your battery size somewhere, just in case you can't check the color.
Q: When does my hearing aid battery need to be changed?
A: Usually, hearing aid batteries need to be changed every 7-14 days. This depends on what kind of hearing aid you wear, and on how many hours each day you are using your hearing aids. Digital hearing aids' batteries last longer because it takes more power.
If your batteries seem to be wearing down quickly, something might be wrong with the hearing aid. Also, pay attention to where you store the batteries. Don't store them in a place that gets hot.
Q: Where can I buy hearing aid batteries?
A: Common types of batteries can be found in a regular drugstore. You can also look in the electronics section of a department store such as Wal-Mart. You can also check electronics stores such as Radio Shack. If you can't find what you need there, ask your audiologist about other available outlets.
There is a company called Sonus (sonus.com) that will deliver the batteries you need straight to your door. This might be a more convenient option for some people.
You've probably heard that it's risky to buy hearing aids over the internet, but batteries are fine. There are plenty of websites where you can buy the batteries you need online, and you can buy in bulk quantities so that you save on shipping and have lots of extras.
Q: Should I buy a battery tester?
A: It may be hard to tell when your battery starts dying. The sound may decrease gradually. For this reason, it might be good to buy a battery tester. This might save you the trouble of buying new batteries when the old ones were okay.
A battery tester will also help you troubleshoot if something is wrong with your hearing aid. You don't want to be constantly buying batteries and replacing them if that's not the problem.