Hearing Matters- Hearing Aids
Stocking your pharmacy with hearing aid batteries.
Hearing aids come in many different sizes and styles. Because there are various sizes of hearing aids with different features, the amount of power needed for the device to run differs. Larger hearing aids generally require larger hearing aid batteries. Additionally, hearing aids used for individuals with severe or profound hearing losses typically require larger batteries because more power is needed to help them operate.
There are five sizes of hearing aid batteries available on the market. The sizes, from smallest to largest, are 10, 312, 13 and 675. The four most common hearing aid battery sizes are all smaller than the diameter of a dime:
Size 10 – 5.8 mm wide by 3.6 mm high
Size 312 – 7.9 mm wide by 3.6 mm high
Size 13 – 7.9 mm wide by 5.4 mm high
Size 675 – 11.6 mm wide by 5.4 mm high
Because size differences may appear trivial to the regular eye or can be difficult to remember, battery packaging is generally color-coded to making finding and purchasing the correct ones easier. Size 5 batteries are labeled red, size 10 batteries are labeled with yellow, size 312 are marked in brown, size 13 are packaged in orange and size 675 are usually designated using blue.
Battery life
One of the most common questions individuals have about hearing aid batteries is how long they will last. Generally speaking, they can last anywhere from five to 14 days, based on a 16 hour per day use cycle. This is of course dependent upon the size of the battery and power needed by the hearing aid. Typically, smaller ones don’t last quite as long because their size restricts the amount of power stored in them.
The average life span of hearing aid batteries is as follows:
Size 10 – three to seven days
Size 312 – three to 10 days
Size 13 – six to 14 days
Size 675 – nine to 20 days
If a hearing aid user is experiencing shortened battery life, it’s possible there is an issue with the hearing device. A hearing aid wearer should consult their device manual or contact their hearing healthcare professional to make sure everything is working properly.