“How often should I change my hearing aid batteries?” is one of the most common questions that we get from hearing aid users. Battery manufacturers use an equation to give an estimate; however, there are several factors that determine the battery life of a hearing device.
Battery Types:
Zinc Air is the most common battery type. Zinc air batteries have a tab. When the tab is pulled off, oxygen mixes with zinc oxide and the battery is activated. For best results, it is recommended to wait up to 5 minutes, after pulling the tab off the battery, before inserting the battery into the hearing device.
Rechargeable is another popular option. Though rechargeable batteries are not available with all hearing aids, more manufacturers are starting to offer them as an alternative to zinc air. Rechargeable devices are placed in a charger overnight.
Battery Life:
All hearing aids have an indicator to let you know when your battery life is low and needs to be changed. There are a number of factors that can determine the life of the battery.
Here are just a few:
Length of wearing time:
The longer the device is being worn, the faster the battery will drain.
Streaming and remote usage:
The ability to stream phone calls or music is a very popular feature; however, it can drain your battery more quickly.
Moisture:
Yes, moisture can drain your battery faster as well! You may not sweat and there might not be any humidity in the air, but your hearing aid can still accumulate moisture. It is recommended that hearing devices using zinc air batteries be kept in a hearing aid de-humidifier, such as the Zephyr, overnight to prevent moisture build up and keep your hearing device working in tip top shape!
If you feel as though you are going through batteries faster than you should be, give us a call!
-contributed by Marnie Belfor, Audiology Technician
Americans spend an average of 5 hours per day watching TV. And, if you have any hearing issues, you spend even more time listening to television since you’re not going out and socializing as much…it’s not fun when you don’t know what people are talking about and it can be embarrassing.
Besides, even when you go to the movies or theater, you really don’t enjoy it. And everyone is annoyed when you keep saying, “What?” “What did she say?”
So you stay home watching TV, but you can’t understand what they’re saying half the time and turning up the volume doesn’t help. Especially with Downton Abbey. Who can understand those foreign accents? Then, your spouse and kids complain the TV’s too loud and turn it down!
Imagine clearly hearing and understanding every word on your favorite TV show. Imagine going to a movie, play or drive-thru Starbucks and hearing everything clearly? Imagine going to church or synagogue and actually enjoying the sermon?
With hearing loops, you can! Ever since composer Richard Einhorn, wrote about his experience at Kennedy Center, looping has been taking the country by storm.
“There I was at ‘Wicked’ weeping uncontrollably – and I don’t even like musicals,” he said. “For the first time since I lost most of my hearing, live music was perfectly clear, perfectly clean and incredibly rich.”
Looping is basically just a copper wire placed around a room that’s hooked up to a transmitter that’s connected to the sound source (a microphone, the TV). The wire emits a magnetic signal. Most hearing devices have a tiny coil inside that also emits a magnetic symbol. When the little coil is turned on, the transmitter sends the signal (voice) directly into your hearing devices and voila! You hear everything right into your ears. It’s like magic.
The best part is, besides finally knowing what’s going on, is you don’t have to wear a big bulky headset that announces to the world you can’t hear. And, it’s not isolating. You can hear everything that’s going on and still talk to the person next to you.
When you see this symbol to the left, just touch the button on your hearing devices (or remote control) to activate the coil. Now, sit back and enjoy!
P.S. Even if you don’t have hearing devices, can still enjoy hearing through looping. Just ask to borrow a headset.
Dr. Ronna Fisher and HHC featured on an NBC Chicago segment discussing the dangers of earbuds.
Aired 5/2/06