When should I upgrade my hearing aids?
This is a frequent question we hear from our patients, and the answer requires some thought. Although hearing aids ordinarily have a life-span of 3-7 years, there are a few cases in which you may want 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 working as effectively as they once did, the first option to look into is cleaning or repair.
Hearing aids are subjected to earwax, moisture, and other particles, so your hearing aids may merely require a cleaning. Other times, the electronics within the hearing aids require repair, but otherwise the hearing aids remain effective.
If your hearing aids are compromised beyond repair, however, or if they are past their standard life-span, you might wish to upgrade to a new pair.
2. Your hearing needs are not being met
Let’s say you obtain a new job that necessitates a lot of speaking on the phone, which has always been a challenge for you with your current hearing aids. You hear about a new brand of hearing aid that can stream calls wirelessly from your iPhone directly to your hearing aids, producing clear sound that you can freely modify. In this scenario, 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 situations in which your present hearing aids are not performing to your preference. Then, by consulting 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 throughout the years, and it’s a possibility that your current hearing aids, while initially sufficient, are now incapable of handling your hearing loss. If this is the situation, you will require a new hearing test and a new pair of hearing aids programmed to complement your hearing loss.
4. You want to take advantage of the latest technology
Hearing aid technology is improving rapidly; just ten years ago it would have sounded 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 take advantage of the new technology.
As an example, perhaps you just bought a new Apple Watch and you learned that some 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 suitable model.
The decision to upgrade your hearing aids basically 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 quickly, and most of our patients are surprised to find out 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.