When should I upgrade my hearing aids?
This is a typical question we hear from our patients, and the answer requires some thought. While hearing aids traditionally 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 used to, the first option to consider is cleaning or repair.
Hearing aids are subjected to earwax, moisture, and other particles, so your hearing aids may merely need a cleaning. Other times, the electronics within the hearing aids require repair, but otherwise the hearing aids are still effective.
If your hearing aids are damaged beyond repair, however, or if they are beyond their natural life-span, you might want to upgrade to a new set.
2. Your hearing requirements are not being met
Let’s say you land a new job that will require a lot of talking on the phone, which has regularly been a problem for you with your current hearing aids. You hear about a new kind of hearing aid that can stream phone calls wirelessly from your iPhone directly 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 scenarios in which your current hearing aids are not operating to your liking. Then, by talking with a hearing specialist, you can identify the hearing aids that can better meet your requirements.
3. Your hearing has changed
Hearing can and does change through the years, and it’s a possibility that your present hearing aids, while sufficient at first, are now incapable of handling your hearing loss. If this is the situation, you will require a new hearing test and a new set of hearing aids programmed to complement your hearing loss.
4. You want to reap the benefits of the latest technology
Hearing aid technology is advancing rapidly; just ten 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 reap the benefits of the new technology.
As an example, perhaps you just purchased a new Apple Watch and you learned that some 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 basically comes down to answering two questions:
- Are my current hearing aids meeting all of my listening needs?
- Is there new technology or functionality that I would like to take advantage of?
Hearing aid technology is evolving quickly, and most of our patients are surprised to find out what the new hearing aid models are capable of. And the truth 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 show you all the available technology and how it could make your life better and easier. You might be surprised at what you discover.