You know it’s time to upgrade your hearing aid if you’re walking around with one of those old-fashioned ear trumpets. Coming to that realization when you wear conventional hearing aids is more difficult, though, so how does one know? Your decade old hearing aids still work, right?
While it might be true that older hearing aids are better than no hearing aids, chances are what little benefit you get from using them comes at a price. In the last few years, hearing aids have advanced considerably. Some of the functions of modern-day hearing aids hadn’t even been designed 10 years ago. For one thing, they’ve advanced to digital from analog. Consider some reasons why you should be considering an upgrade.
Old Hearing Aids Are Not Very Reliable
Lower quality or older hearing aids often have an annoying buzzing noise. And it’s always a good time when you get near a phone and your hearing aid starts to feedback. Sometimes that shrill feedback comes from nowhere, too. Now why is it feeding back?
You’ve Become Desensitized to its Low Quality
You’re now used to wondering why the sound of traffic is so noisy or to sitting quietly while everybody else has engaging conversation. Don’t forget the time your grandchild sang you a great song she learned at school, but you only heard parts of her song because your hearing aids kept cutting out. But you still clapped.
These are all failings connected with outdated hearing aids. Turning up the volume was the primary objective in hearing aids a decade ago. These days, hearing aids perform magic tricks like filtering out background noise, so say goodbye to the air conditioner.
Old Hearing Aids Will Cost You More Money
When you’re considering a hearing aid upgrade, expense is a big factor. You will need to make a preliminary purchase with new hearing aids but old ones will also be expensive over time. You will be constantly buying new batteries when you have an analog hearing aid. If you are replacing the batteries every single day, or even more often than that, the costs add up.
Out of date hearings aids can potentially spend more time at the shop, too. If you picture your hearing aid as a 1992 Buick, you get the idea. It’s in the shop more than it is in your ear and repairs expensive.
Smart Technology is a Thing Now
Most modern hearing aids have Bluetooth functionality. You won’t find that in an analog device. Your phone, tablet, and even your computer can be connected, via Bluetooth, to your hearing digital aid.
The Secret to Everything is Communication
It has been shown by research, that you may earn less money if you suffer from hearing loss. So it’s clear that it would be a benefit to your career if you had newer hearing aids. It will be easier to hear what your boss and customers are saying. You won’t need to worry about missing some important information or if your hearing aid battery will die when you need it most.
Obviously, better communication means an improved quality of life, too. You don’t need to sit like a wallflower during discussions anymore. Jump right in and engage with the people around you.
You Just Want Your Hearing Aid to be More Stylish
When you look in the mirror at your old hearing aid, what words come to mind? Embarrassing? Obvious? Oh my god? One of the most significant perks that come with replacing old hearing aids is style and versatility. You can get hearing aids in lots of colors, shapes, and sizes now. You can have one tucked so tightly into your ear that nobody will ever notice it, or you can make a fashion statement with a visible hearing aid in your favorite color.
Clues That It’s Time
Now you understand all the reasons you should get a hearing aid upgrade, but not what you should specifically look for that says your device may end up being called an antique. The time has come and here are the indications:
- Your hearing has changed. Even when you have the hearing aids in your ears, it seems like you don’t hear as well.
- Your life has changed, and your hearing aid has a difficult time keeping up. Every time you need to use the phone, you have to take it out and background noise has become a big problem.
- Your hearing aid keeps cutting out. It’s simply not reliable anymore, and that’s a problem.
- It’s clear that you have an analog device. Ouch, go digital right away.
- Your ears feel heavy. Analog hearing aids weigh a lot.
- Your hearing aid sticks out like a sore thumb. Back when that old hearing aid was new, technology was a lot bigger.
- You constantly have to switch out the batteries. Modern hearing aids are more energy efficient, and some are rechargeable.
It isn’t rocket science. If you’ve had your hearing aids for seven years or more, it’s time to upgrade and hear better.
