When should I upgrade my hearing aids?
This is a regular 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 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 working well
If your hearing aids are not working as effectively as they used to, the first option to consider is cleaning or repair.
Hearing aids are exposed to earwax, humidity, and other particles, so your hearing aids may merely require a cleaning. In other cases, the electronics within the hearing aids require repair, but otherwise the hearing aids remain effective.
If your hearing aids are harmed beyond repair, on the other hand, or if they are beyond their average life-span, you may wish to upgrade to a new set.
2. Your hearing requirements are not being met
Let’s say you secure a new job that necessitates a lot of talking on the phone, which has always been a problem for you with your current hearing aids. You learn about a new kind of hearing aid that can stream calls wirelessly from your iPhone straight to your hearing aids, giving you clear sound that you can readily adjust. In this situation, you may want to upgrade your hearing aids to satisfy your new hearing needs.
It’s a great idea to make a list of all the circumstances in which your existing hearing aids are not performing to your liking. Then, by consulting with a hearing specialist, you can find the hearing aids that can better fulfill your requirements.
3. Your hearing has changed
Hearing can and does change through the years, and it’s possible that your existing hearing aids, while sufficient at first, are now incapable of dealing with your hearing loss. If this is the case, you will need a new hearing examination and a new set of hearing aids programmed to match your hearing loss.
4. You want to take advantage of cutting edge technology
Hearing aid technology is advancing rapidly; just 10 years ago it would have sounded like science-fiction to imagine 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 example, maybe you just bought a new Apple Watch and you learned that a few of the new hearing aid types 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 in the end 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 advancing rapidly, and many of our patients are surprised to discover 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 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.
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