You know it’s time to replace your hearing aid if you’re walking around with one of those old-school ear trumpets. Coming to that realization when you have conventional hearing aids is trickier, though, so how do you know? Your ten year old hearing aids still function, right?
Maybe you are better off using older hearing aids than not having one, what’s the real cost? Hearing aid tech has progressed in the past several years. Some of the features of modern-day hearing aids hadn’t even been invented 10 years ago. For starters, they’ve gone from analog to digital. Think about some reasons why it’s time for you to be thinking about an upgrade.
The Old One is Not That Dependable
Outdated or even poor-quality hearing aids have serious issues like that annoying buzz you hear every now and then. And it’s always a good time when you get near a phone and your hearing aid begins to feedback. That noisy feedback occasionally happens for no noticeable reason. What caused it now?
You’ve Become Desensitized to its Low Quality
You’ve become accustomed to wondering why the sound of traffic is so loud or to going off quietly while everyone else has stimulating conversation. Remember when your hearing aid wouldn’t stop dropping out when you were trying to listen to your grandchild sing a song and you could only hear some of what they were singing. You still clapped, though.
These are all drawbacks linked to outdated hearing aids. Ten years ago the focus was on raising the volume. Now, unwanted noise can be filtered out and modern hearing aids can do many other really awesome things.
Older Hearing Aids Will Cost You More Money
When you’re thinking about upgrading your hearing aid, cost is a big factor. You will have to make an initial investment with new hearing aids but older ones will also be expensive with time. You will be continually replacing batteries with an analog hearing aid. If you are replacing the batteries on a daily basis, or even more often than that, the costs add up.
Old hearings aids can potentially need repair, also. If you picture your hearing aid like a 1992 Buick, you get the idea. Repairs are expensive and it’s constantly in the shop.
Nowadays, we Have Smart Tech
Bluetooth capability is a newer technology that has transformed hearing aid capability. An analog hearing aid won’t have that feature. Having Bluetooth integrated into your digital hearing aid means that it connects to your computer, your phone, maybe even your television (unless they’re ten years old, as well.)
Communication is The Key to Everything
Studies reveal that hearing loss can lead to a reduced paycheck. Doesn’t it seem sensible then that newer hearing aids would be a career asset? It will be easier to hear what customers and your boss are saying. You won’t have to stress out about missing some essential information or if your hearing aid battery will quit when you need it most.
Needless to say, better communication means a better quality of life, too. You don’t need to sit like a wallflower in the middle of discussions anymore. Feel free to get right in and engage with others.
You Only Want Your Hearing Aid to be Cooler
How do you feel when you check yourself out in the mirror wearing that old hearing aid? Clunky? Obvious? Oh my god? One of the most significant perks that come with replacing old hearing aids is flexibility and design. Contemporary hearing aids come in various colors, sizes, and shapes. You can wear a visible one in your favorite color or an internal one tucked invisibly inside your ear.
Clues That It’s Time
Now you understand all the reasons you should want a hearing aid upgrade, but not what to specifically look for that says your device is at risk of being called an antique. The time has come and here are the indications:
- Your hearing has changed. Even when you have your hearing aids in, it seems as if you can’t hear as well.
- Your life has evolved, and your hearing aid has a hard time keeping up. It’s a chore to take it out just to use the phone, or perhaps you’ve changed jobs and now have to deal with more background noise.
- Your hearing aid randomly quits working. You really can’t count on it functioning when you need it most.
- It’s obvious that you have an analog device. Ouch, go digital fast.
- Your ears feel heavy. Analog hearing aids weigh more.
- Your hearing aid is the only thing you see when you look in a mirror. Back when that old hearing aid was new, technology was much bigger.
- You constantly have to switch out the batteries. Modern hearing aids are usually rechargeable and are also more energy efficient.
It isn’t rocket science. If you’ve had your hearing aids for more than seven years, it’s time to trade up and hear better.