When should I upgrade my hearing aids?
This is a popular 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 a few circumstances in which you may want to upgrade sooner.
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 functioning as effectively as they used to, the first thing to look into is cleaning or repair.
Hearing aids are subjected to earwax, moisture, and other particles, so your hearing aids may simply need a cleaning. In other cases, the electronics within the hearing aids need repair, but otherwise the hearing aids remain effective.
If your hearing aids are harmed beyond repair, however, or if they are past their standard life-span, you may wish to upgrade to a new pair.
2. Your hearing requirements are not being met
Let’s say you obtain a new job that necessitates a lot of speaking on the phone, which has consistently been a challenge for you with your existing hearing aids. You learn about a new kind of hearing aid that can stream phone calls wirelessly from your iPhone straight to your hearing aids, resulting in clear sound that you can conveniently modify. In this situation, you may want to upgrade your hearing aids to cater to your new hearing needs.
It’s a smart idea to create a list of all the circumstances in which your existing hearing aids are not operating to your preference. Then, by speaking with a hearing specialist, you can discover the hearing aids that can better meet your needs.
3. Your hearing has changed
Hearing can and does change over the years, and it’s possible that your present hearing aids, while sufficient at first, are now not capable of dealing with your hearing loss. If this is the situation, you will require a new hearing examination and a new set of hearing aids programmed to accommodate your hearing loss.
4. You want to make the most of the latest technology
Hearing aid technology is improving quickly; just 10 years ago it would have sounded like science-fiction to expect that you could stream music wirelessly from your iPod to your hearing aids. Each year, powerful new functionality is added to new hearing aid models, and you may find that you’d like to take advantage of the new technology.
For example, perhaps you just purchased a new Apple Watch and you discovered that a few 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 ultimately 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 benefit from?
Hearing aid technology is evolving rapidly, and many of our patients are surprised to learn 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.
If you would like to learn about what some of your options are, give us a call today and we’ll show you all the available technology and how it could make your life better and easier. You may be surprised at what you find.