When Should I Upgrade My Hearing Aids?
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 typically have a life-span of 3-7 years, there are a few cases 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 functioning well
If your hearing aids are not performing as effectively as they used to, the first thing to consider is cleaning or repair.
Hearing aids are exposed to earwax, humidity, and other debris, so your hearing aids may simply require a cleaning. Other times, the electronics within the hearing aids need repair, but otherwise the hearing aids are still effective.
If your hearing aids are compromised beyond repair, however, or if they are past their average life-span, you might want to upgrade to a new set.
2. Your hearing needs are not being met
Let’s say you obtain a new job that requires a lot of talking on the phone, which has consistently been a challenge for you with your current hearing aids. You learn about a new model of hearing aid that can stream phone calls wirelessly from your iPhone directly to your hearing aids, resulting in clear sound that you can freely fine-tune. In this scenario, you may want to upgrade your hearing aids to meet your new hearing requirements.
It’s a smart idea to make a list of all the scenarios in which your current hearing aids are not performing to your liking. Then, by speaking with a hearing specialist, you can find the hearing aids that can better satisfy your needs.
3. Your hearing has changed
Hearing can and does change over time, and it’s a possibility that your existing hearing aids, while initially sufficient, are now not capable of dealing with your hearing loss. If this is the case, you will require a new hearing assessment and a new pair of hearing aids programmed to complement your hearing loss.
4. You want to reap the benefits of new technology
Hearing aid technology is advancing rapidly; just 10 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, amazing new functionality is added to new hearing aid models, and you may find that you’d like to take advantage of the new technology.
For instance, perhaps you just bought a new Apple Watch and you discovered that a couple 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 essentially boils 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 advancing rapidly, and most of our patients are amazed to discover 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.
