When should I upgrade my hearing aids?
This is a regular question we hear from our patients, and the answer requires some thought. While hearing aids typically have a life-span of 3-7 years, there are several cases in which you may want to upgrade earlier.
Here are 4 reasons you may want to consider a hearing aid upgrade.
1. Your hearing aids are no longer working well
If your hearing aids are not operating as well as they once did, the first thing to look into is cleaning or repair.
Hearing aids are subjected to earwax, moisture, and other debris, so your hearing aids may simply need a cleaning. Other times, the electronics within the hearing aids need repair, but otherwise the hearing aids remain effective.
If your hearing aids are damaged beyond repair, on the other hand, or if they are past their average life-span, you might wish to upgrade to a new set.
2. Your hearing requirements are not being fulfilled
Let’s say you land a new job that will require a lot of speaking on the phone, which has always been a problem for you with your current hearing aids. You learn about a new kind of hearing aid that can stream calls wirelessly from your iPhone straight to your hearing aids, leading to clear sound that you can easily modify. In this situation, you may want to upgrade your hearing aids to accommodate your new hearing requirements.
It’s a great idea to make a list of all the instances in which your present hearing aids are not functioning to your preference. Then, by speaking with a hearing specialist, you can find the hearing aids that can better fulfill your needs.
3. Your hearing has changed
Hearing can and does change through the years, and it’s possible that your existing hearing aids, while initially sufficient, are now incapable of handling your hearing loss. If this is the case, you will need a new hearing assessment and a new pair of hearing aids programmed to accommodate your hearing loss.
4. You want to reap the benefits of the latest technology
Hearing aid technology is improving rapidly; just 10 years ago it would have seemed like science-fiction to expect that you could stream music wirelessly from your iPod to your hearing aids. Every year, surprising new functionality is added to new hearing aid models, and you may find that you’d like to reap the benefits of the new technology.
For instance, perhaps you just bought a new Apple Watch and you learned that some of the new hearing aid types are compatible. If you want to control your hearing aids with the watch, you would need to upgrade to a appropriate model.
The decision to upgrade your hearing aids in the end comes down to answering two questions:
- Are my current hearing aids fulfilling all of my listening needs?
- Is there new technology or functionality that I would like to take advantage of?
Hearing aid technology is evolving rapidly, and most of our patients are amazed to find out what the new hearing aid models are capable of. And the fact is, you can’t really answer the second question without knowing what’s available to you.
If you would like to learn about what some of your options are, give us a call today and we’ll explain to you all the available technology and how it could make your life better and easier. You may be surprised at what you find.