Hearing Aid Batteries and Battery Testers
For anyone who relies on any kind of assistive listening devices to augment their hearing, it is very important to take extra measures to be sure that the hearing devices are always working at an optimal level. Hearing aid batteries are a very fundamental aspect of ensuring that hearing aids are functioning correctly and fully for the best benefit and to make sure that you enjoy a better hearing environment.
There are many different sizes and models of batteries for hearing aids and they are unique to the particular model of hearing aid that you have. Normally, when you are first fitted for hearing aids, they will come with a set of batteries pre-installed and with a couple of additional sets of back-up batteries as well.
The expected life of hearing aid batteries will vary depending on the exact type of hearing instrument brand and model that you use because different brands have different power usage requirements. Another thing that will determine the life of a hearing aid battery is the amount of time that the hearing aid is use each day.
A general rule of thumb is that the batteries for hearing aids should be changed every ten days to two weeks, although you may find that you need to change them more frequently or less frequently. It is a good idea to keep track of how often you need to change them so that you can identify a pattern, in order to anticipate the supply that you will need to keep on hand.
In order to help you get the maximum use from a set of batteries for hearing aids, it is often useful to purchase a hearing aid battery tester. Such a battery testing device can help you identify the point at which your batteries have begun to lose power and are at a level where they need to be replaced. This is a better method than simply trying to listen to changes in the quality of the sound you are hearing through the hearing aids.
Another reason why this is important is because, as the batteries for hearing aids lose power, the assistive listening devices are not able to work at their optimal level of performance. When this happens your hearing can actually be damaged more by wearing hearing aids with worn out batteries because of distortions that can result.
A good battery tester can also be useful in troubleshooting when your hearing aid products develop some type of problem. Using a tester will quickly show you if the problem you are having is simply a matter of drained batteries or if there is some other problem that is not related to the batteries at all. This should also help avoid throwing out perfectly good batteries in the course of trying to fix the problem.
Many users say that they prefer to use a hearing aid battery testing device that shows not only if the battery is “live” or “dead” but also has a gauge that can indicate the amount of power remaining in the battery. It is also best if the model is durable so that it can withstand years of regular usage and if it can test more hearing aid batteries in pairs rather than singularly. Another convenience built into many testing units is a storage compartment that can hold spare batteries.
