When should I upgrade my hearing aids?
This is a typical question we hear from our patients, and the answer requires some thought. Although hearing aids typically have a life-span of 3-7 years, there are several scenarios in which you may desire to upgrade earlier.
Here are 4 reasons you may want to consider a hearing aid upgrade.
1. Your hearing aids are no longer functioning well
If your hearing aids are not functioning 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 simply need a cleaning. In other cases, the electronics within the hearing aids require repair, but otherwise the hearing aids are still effective.
If your hearing aids are damaged beyond repair, on the other hand, or if they are past their natural life-span, you might wish to upgrade to a new set.
2. Your hearing needs are not being fulfilled
Let’s say you land 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 model of hearing aid that can stream phone calls wirelessly from your iPhone straight to your hearing aids, giving you clear sound that you can quickly fine-tune. In this scenario, you may want to upgrade your hearing aids to satisfy your new hearing requirements.
It’s a good idea to create a list of all the instances in which your existing hearing aids are not functioning to your preference. Then, by speaking with a hearing specialist, you can discover the hearing aids that can better satisfy your requirements.
3. Your hearing has changed
Hearing can and does change throughout the years, and it’s a possibility that your current hearing aids, while sufficient at first, are now incapable of dealing with your hearing loss. If this is the case, you will require a new hearing assessment 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 evolving quickly; just ten years ago it would have seemed like science fiction to expect that you could stream music wirelessly from your iPod to your hearing aids. Each year, surprising 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 purchased a new Apple Watch and you learned that a few of the new hearing aid models are compatible. If you want to control your hearing aids with the watch, you would need to upgrade to a suitable model.
The decision to upgrade your hearing aids essentially comes down to answering two questions:
- Are my current hearing aids meeting all of my listening requirements?
- 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 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 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.
