Rechargeable hearing aids are becoming more popular amongst our patients. So, you ask, what are the difference between a hearing aid that is rechargeable vs a hearing aid that has a disposable battery? All hearing aids are similar regardless of style and size have the same basic working mechanisms such as a microphone, amplifier, receiver, and of course a battery to supply power to the hearing aid.
The standard power source of hearing aids for many years has been disposable batteries. These batteries are zinc-air which are available in four sizes 10, 312, 13, 675. These four sizes are not only numbered but also depicted with a color-coded tab. The removal of this tab is what activates the battery. All batteries vary in size and the size often represents that length of the battery’s life. Typical life of a disposable battery can vary from 4-14 days. Disposable batteries are readily available for purchase at your audiologist’s office, drug stores, grocery stores, and even online.
Over the last couple years, the hearing aid world has started to trend towards a rechargeable power source. This style of battery is lithium-ion which is similar to the technology you would find in your typical cell phone battery. Use of the rechargeable hearing aids is very user friendly. Charge your hearing aids overnight, then they are ready for use for the next day. You cannot over charge the battery. One charge can provide up to 24 hours of use throughout your day, so no need to worry about carrying spare batteries that you may have to change during that important meeting or dinner event. Not to mention with the rechargeable option it also eliminates the additional cost of batteries and are more environmentally friendly.
It is important to talk with your audiologist to determine if a rechargeable system is right for you. In order to schedule an appointment or obtain more information about rechargeable systems contact Gardner Audiology at 1-800-277-1182 or email info@gardneraudiology.com.
