Approximately 28 million Americans have a hearing impairment according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Hearing loss is one of the most prevalent chronic health conditions in the United States, affecting people of all ages, in all segments of the population, and across all socioeconomic levels.

A hearing aid is an electronic, battery-operated device that amplifies and changes sound to allow for improved communication.

With few exceptions, all hearing aids have batteries. Hearing aid batteries are available in 5 sizes; 675, 13, 312, 10, and 5. Size 675 is the largest and 5 is the smallest and the newest. The average life of a hearing aid battery typically varies from 5 to 20 days depending on the size of the battery, the power of the hearing aid, the setting of the volume control, and how many hours per day the hearing aid is worn.

The most common type of hearing aid battery is Zinc-Air.  Until a few years ago, mercury batteries were commonly sold. However, Zinc-Air batteries may last up to 2 1/2 times longer then mercury and are much better for the environment. 

To identify the size, most manufacturers use an industry standard color code. The 675 is coded blue, the 13 is coded orange, the 312 is coded brown, the 10 is coded yellow, and the 5 is coded red.