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 normally have a life-span of 3-7 years, there are a few circumstances 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 operating as effectively as they used to, the first option to look into is cleaning or repair.
Hearing aids are exposed to earwax, moisture, and other debris, so your hearing aids may simply need a cleaning. In other cases, the electronics within the hearing aids need repair, but otherwise the hearing aids are still effective.
If your hearing aids are compromised beyond repair, on the other hand, or if they are beyond their natural life-span, you might want to upgrade to a new pair.
2. Your hearing needs are not being fulfilled
Let’s say you land a new job that requires a lot of talking on the phone, which has always been a problem for you with your existing hearing aids. You learn about a new kind of hearing aid that can stream calls wirelessly from your iPhone straight to your hearing aids, resulting in clear sound that you can readily modify. In this situation, you may want to upgrade your hearing aids to satisfy your new hearing requirements.
It’s a smart idea to create a list of all the scenarios in which your present hearing aids are not operating to your liking. Then, by speaking 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 throughout the years, and it’s possible that your present hearing aids, while initially sufficient, are now not capable of dealing with your hearing loss. If this is the situation, you will require a new hearing exam and a new set of hearing aids programmed to accommodate your hearing loss.
4. You want to reap the benefits of cutting edge technology
Hearing aid technology is improving quickly; 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. Each year, remarkable 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 purchased 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 appropriate model.
The decision to upgrade your hearing aids basically boils 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 benefit from?
Hearing aid technology is evolving quickly, and many of our patients are amazed 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 to you.
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.
