When should I upgrade my hearing aids?
This is a regular question we hear from our patients, and the answer demands some thought. While hearing aids normally have a life-span of 3-7 years, there are a few instances in which you may desire to upgrade earlier.
Here are 4 reasons you may want to consider an upgrade.
1. Your hearing aids are no longer performing well
If your hearing aids are not operating as effectively 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 merely 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 harmed beyond repair, however, or if they are beyond their standard life-span, you might wish to upgrade to a new pair.
2. Your hearing requirements are not being met
Let’s say you land a new job that requires a lot of speaking on the phone, which has consistently been a problem for you with your existing hearing aids. You hear 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 adjust. In this situation, you may want to upgrade your hearing aids to cater to your new hearing requirements.
It’s a great idea to create a list of all the instances in which your current hearing aids are not functioning to your liking. Then, by speaking with a hearing specialist, you can identify the hearing aids that can better satisfy 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 incapable of handling your hearing loss. If this is the case, you will need a new hearing examination and a new pair of hearing aids programmed to match your hearing loss.
4. You want to reap the benefits of new technology
Hearing aid technology is advancing quickly; just 10 years ago it would have seemed like science fiction to imagine that you could stream music wirelessly from your iPod to your hearing aids. Every year, extraordinary new functionality is added to new hearing aid models, and you may find that you’d like to take advantage of the new technology.
As an example, perhaps you just bought a new Apple Watch and you discovered that a couple of the new hearing aid types are compatible. If you wish to control your hearing aids with the watch, you would need to upgrade to a compatible 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 take advantage of?
Hearing aid technology is advancing 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 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.