When should I upgrade my hearing aids?
This is a frequent question we hear from our patients, and the answer demands some thought. Although hearing aids traditionally have a life-span of 3-7 years, there are a few cases in which you may want to upgrade sooner.
Here are 4 reasons you may want to consider an upgrade.
1. Your hearing aids are no longer working well
If your hearing aids are not working as well as they once did, the first option to look into is cleaning or repair.
Hearing aids are subjected to earwax, humidity, and other particles, 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 compromised beyond repair, however, or if they are beyond their regular life-span, you may want to upgrade to a new set.
2. Your hearing requirements are not being fulfilled
Let’s say you secure a new job that necessitates a lot of talking on the phone, which has consistently been a challenge for you with your existing hearing aids. You hear about a new type of hearing aid that can stream phone calls wirelessly from your iPhone directly to your hearing aids, resulting in clear sound that you can conveniently adjust. In this scenario, you may want to upgrade your hearing aids to match your new hearing requirements.
It’s a great idea to create a list of all the situations in which your existing hearing aids are not performing to your liking. Then, by speaking with a hearing specialist, you can identify 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 current hearing aids, while sufficient at first, are now not capable of dealing with your hearing loss. If this is the case, you will require a new hearing exam and a new pair of hearing aids programmed to accommodate your hearing loss.
4. You want to take advantage of new technology
Hearing aid technology is evolving rapidly; just ten years ago it would have seemed like science-fiction to believe 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.
As an example, maybe you just purchased a new Apple Watch and you learned that a few of the new hearing aid models are compatible. If you wish to control your hearing aids with the watch, you would need to upgrade to a suitable model.
The decision to upgrade your hearing aids ultimately boils 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 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 know 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.