About hearing aid batteries
Hearing aid batteries usually cost about $1 a piece. A size 13 hearing aid battery (the most common size) in a well-working hearing aid usually lasts 7-10 days, or approximately one week. Some of the newer aids are getting up to three weeks. If your hearing aid is going through quality batteries in less than one week, your hearing aid is probably malfunctioning and should be checked. If you have a really small hearing aid with the tiny (size 10) battery, you may only get five days out of a battery.
How do you know if your batteries are of good quality? Most hearing health care offices (audiologists and dispensers) carry fresh quality batteries in their offices for sale. Ask your hearing professional if they have a battery club to help you save money. If you purchase your batteries from a drugstore or department store, they may cost less, but they may have been on the shelf awhile. I have found that hearing aid batteries do get weak in the package over time. The batteries are not typically going to last as long near the expiration date as they do when they are fresh off the assembly line.
To store hearing aid batteries it is best to leave them in the package they came in until use. Hearing aid batteries do not need to be stored in a refrigerator or freezer. It is best to keep them in a cupboard or on a shelf at room temperature. Do not remove the sticker on the back of the battery until you need to use it. Removing the sticker activates the battery, and it will start to drain whether it is in the hearing aid or not. You cannot save the battery by putting the sticker back on it. The battery will drain more in the hearing aid with the hearing aid turned on or if the volume is turned up. If you are not wearing your hearing aid, disengage the battery by opening the battery door all the way, this will give you more battery life.
If small hearing aid batteries are a problem for you, I would recommend that the next time you get hearing aids you consider the kind with a rechargeable battery. That allows one to set their hearing aids in the recharger each night and not have to handle the batteries.
Tia Flynn is a certified audiologist who has been in business for over 16 years. Every Tuesday morning from 9:00 a.m. to noon, she provides free hearing screenings at 1601 Third St. in Coeur d’Alene. (208) 664-2767. Visit our newly updated website www.affordablehearinginc.com to watch helpful videos or take an online hearing test.