You know it’s time to replace your hearing aid if you’re walking around with one of those old-school ear trumpets. Making that call when you have conventional hearing aids is trickier, though, so how does one know? Your ten year old hearing aids still work, right?
It’s possible that you are better off having older hearing aids than having none, what’s the real price? Hearing aid tech has advanced in the last few years. It’s gone from analog to digital, for starters, and there are functions now that weren’t even invented 10 years ago. Start thinking about some reasons why you should be considering an upgrade.
The Old One is Not That Dependable
Older or even poor-quality hearing aids have real problems like that irritating buzz you hear every once in a while. What about that feedback whenever you get near a phone, that’s a lot of fun. At times that shrill feedback comes out of nowhere, too. What caused it this time?
You’ve Become Desensitized to its Poor Quality
You’re now used to wondering why the sound of traffic is so noisy or to going off quietly while everyone else has stimulating discussions. Remember the time your grandchild sang you a great song she learned at school, but you could only hear every other word because your hearing aids kept going out. But you still clapped.
All of these are drawbacks connected with outdated hearing aids. Raising the volume was the main goal in hearing aids a decade ago. Now, undesirable noise can be filtered out and modern hearing aids can do many other really amazing things.
Older Hearing Aids Can be Expensive
Expenses are always a factor when it comes to an upgrade. You will have to make a preliminary purchase with new hearing aids but older ones will also be costly over time. You will be constantly replacing 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 can get very high.
Repair costs can also escalate with older hearing aids. If you think of your hearing aid as a 1992 Buick, you’ll get the point. It’s in the repair shop more than it is in your ear and repairs expensive.
Smart Tech is a Thing Now
Many modern hearing aids come with Bluetooth functionality. You won’t get that in an analog device. Your tablet, phone, 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 could earn less money if you suffer from hearing loss. Doesn’t it seem sensible then that newer hearing aids would be a career asset? It will be easier to hear what your boss and customers are saying. You won’t need to stress out about missing some key piece of information or if your hearing aid battery will die when you need it most.
And obviously you will have an improved quality of life if you have effective communication skills. You won’t need to go sit by yourself while people are having conversations. Feel free to get right in and engage with others.
You Really Want a More Stylish Looking Hearing Aid
What do you think when you look at yourself in the mirror wearing that old hearing aid? Clunky? Totally obvious? Oh my god? One of the most significant benefits that come with replacing old hearing aids is versatility and design. Contemporary hearing aids come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. You can wear a visible one in your favorite color or an internal one tucked invisibly inside your ear.
How to Recognize When it’s Time to Upgrade
Now you see why a hearing aid upgrade is worthwhile, now it’s time to learn what makes a hearing aid obsolete. The time has come and here are the indications:
- Your hearing has changed. You don’t hear as well as you used to even with the hearing aid in place.
- Your life has evolved, and your hearing aid has a hard time keeping up. Whenever you need to talk on the phone, you have to remove it and background noise has become a real challenge.
- Your hearing aid keeps quitting. It’s simply not dependable anymore, and that’s problematic.
- It’s obvious that you have an analog hearing aid. Ouch, go digital right away.
- Your ears feel weighted down. Clunky, old technology weighs a lot.
- Your hearing aid sticks out like a sore thumb. That obsolete technology occupies a lot of space, too.
- You are replacing the batteries every day. Contemporary hearing aids are more energy efficient, and many are rechargeable.
It isn’t brain surgery. If you’ve had your hearing aids for seven years or more, it’s time to trade up and hear better.