There is nothing worse than being out and your hearing aid batteries go flat. Not only is this frustrating, it can also be dangerous. So one accessory you will need to know something about is hearing aid batteries and how to care for them so that they last as long as possible.

There are a number of excellent brands of hearing aid batteries on the market including Rayovac, Zenipower and Energizer. When shopping for batteries, keep in mind that they come in two types which are zinc-air and mercury. You will find that most people use zinc air batteries because they tend to have a longer shelf life. There is nothing worse than having your aid batteries die on you just when you need them. Unlike hearing aid prices that can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars, batteries are competitively priced.

Zinc air hearing aid batteries can last up to 2 times longer than mercury batteries and are activated by exposure to air once you pull off the tab. We all know that mercury based products are very bad for the environment so it won't be surprising to see these batteries banded in the near future. It doesn't matter if you wear a digital hearing aid or analog hearing aid, you will still need batteries for it. Most people prefer disposable batteries for their hearing aids but rechargeable batteries are also available. With hearing aid prices being quite expensive, you want to make sure that you have good batteries in them to ensure optimum performance from your hearing aid.

Some important tips to remember when installing new batteries in your hearing aids is to take the tab off and give your new batteries some time to ramp up before putting them into your hearing aids. Your new batteries should ramp up in a minute or two and then it will be ready for installation. If you put a brand new battery into your hearing aid without giving it ramp up time, it may cause your aid to beep signaling that the battery is dead. To avoid this, just wait a minute or two before replacing your hearing aid batteries.

Because of hearing aid prices these days, many people use drying kits. If you do and you also use zinc-air batteries, it is recommended that you take the batteries our before placing your hearing aid in the dry kit. Drying kits will dry up your battery's electrolyte. If this happens, you will shorten the life of your battery. If you wear digital hearing aids with noise circuits that adjust themselves automatically and you are in a noisy atmosphere, your hearing aid battery drain can be up to two or three times more than if you are in a quieter environment. Significant battery drain can also occur when you are in a place with high humidity.

Hearing aid manufactures such as Lisound, Starkey, Siemens and Phonak all have different ratings for noise levels so one may consider a situation, a noisy environment where another may not. Your best bet is to check with your audiologist to get more detailed information. Partial deafness can be frustrating, as can be hearing aid prices. The last thing you want to be concerned about is hearing aid batteries. We hope we have given you enough information to make a wise buying decision as well as information on how to care for your batteries.