Hearing aid batteries are a vital aspect of the hearing aid itself. Without power from the battery, the whole unit is basically ineffective. They’re so important that a lot of people who require a hearing aid will also purchase a hearing aid battery tester. This way they can know if the battery is beginning to run down and they won’t be caught short without spare batteries.
Older kinds of hearing aid batteries were produced from mercury. These batteries are much less effective than the new zinc batteries which are commonly seen today. Something called zinc air is the secret behind these batteries. This is a combination of oxygen in the air together with the zinc present within the battery. The reaction created when activated supplies power to the battery. They have about twice the life of traditional mercury batteries.
Zinc hearing aid batteries have a color coded tab. One of the explanations for this is so you’ll be able to tell the size of the battery. However, it also keeps air from entering the battery until you’re ready to begin using it. As soon as the tab is detached, oxygen begins to enter the battery. As the oxygen combines with the zinc, the battery becomes activated. Because of this the tab shouldn’t be detached before you’re ready to use it so it doesn’t start losing power.
The majority of hearing aids today use one of four different sizes of batteries that are readily available. There’s a particular size of battery for every kind of hearing aid available. A number 10 battery with a yellow tab is the smallest you can get. The largest size is 675 and has a blue tab. Hearing aids that fit inside the ear canal generally use the smaller sizes. The behind the ear models will use the larger sized batteries.
The larger sizes last longer since there is room to accommodate more zinc inside the battery. However, they do take up quite a bit more room. For some people, it’s more important that their hearing aid is discreet than it is to change the battery less often.
The amount of time that hearing aid batteries will last is dependent on the style of hearing aid being worn. The more compact hearing aids that fit into the ear canal have a shorter battery life. This is because these are smaller batteries and don’t have as much of the power producing elements.
Has your doctor warned you that you need a hearing aid? Nowadays, this isn’t as terrible as it sounds. Today’s hearing aids feature some highly advanced sound technology, many of them are practically invisible, and you can even buy over the counter hearing aids. Discover more about the options available to you at Hearing Aids Online.
Tags: Health & Fitness, hearing, hearing aid batteries, hearing aids