You know it’s time to upgrade your hearing aid if you’re still using one of those old-school ear trumpets. When you wear conventional hearing aids, coming to that realization is more challenging. You purchased your hearing aids a decade ago, and they still do the job, right?
While it could be true that older hearing aids are better than no hearing aids, it’s likely that what little benefit you get from them comes at a cost. In the last few years, hearing aids have advanced significantly. Some of the features of contemporary hearing aids hadn’t even been designed a decade ago. For starters, they’ve gone from analog to digital. Start thinking about some reasons why it’s time for you to be thinking about an upgrade.
Your Old One Isn’t That Dependable
Older or even poor-quality hearing aids have serious problems like that annoying buzz you hear every now and again. And it’s always a great time when you get close to a phone and your hearing aid starts to feedback. At times that high pitched feedback comes out of nowhere, too. Now why is it feeding back?
You’ve Become Desensitized to its Poor 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. Recall the time your grandchild sang you a great song she learned at school, but you only heard every other word because your hearing aids kept going out. You still clapped, though.
Old hearing aids have all of these kinds of problems. A decade ago the attention was on raising the volume. These days, hearing aids do magic tricks like filtering out background noise, so say goodbye to the air conditioner.
The Old Ones Are Bleeding Money
When you’re considering a hearing aid upgrade, expense is a big factor. The new technology is not cheap, but neither is wearing an old, out-of-date hearing aid. Analog devices require new batteries a lot. If you are replacing the batteries on a daily basis, or even more than once a day, the costs add up.
Repair costs can also be very high with older hearing aids. If you think of your hearing aid as a 1992 Buick, you’ll get the point. It’s in the shop more than it’s in your ear and repairs are not cheap.
Today, we Have Smart Tech
Bluetooth connectivity is a newer technology that has revolutionized hearing aid functionality. You won’t find that in an analog unit. Having Bluetooth integrated into your digital hearing aid means it connects to your phone, your computer, possibly even your tv (unless they’re ten years old, too.)
The Key to Everything is Communication
Studies reveal that hearing loss can mean a lower paycheck. So it’s obvious that it would be a benefit to your career if you had better hearing aids. You will hear your boss and customers better. You won’t need to be concerned about missing some essential information or if your hearing aid battery will quit when you need it most.
Of course, better communication means a better quality of life, too. You won’t need to go sit alone when people are talking. Don’t hesitate to get right in and connect with others.
You Really Want a Sleeker Looking Hearing Aid
When you look in the mirror at your old hearing aid, how do you feel? Awkward? Totally obvious? Oh my god? One of the most considerable advantages that come with replacing old hearing aids is flexibility and style. Contemporary hearing aids come in a variety of colors, sizes, and shapes. 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 For an Upgrade
Now you see why a hearing aid upgrade is important, so now it’s time to determine what makes a hearing aid obsolete. Here are some telltale signs that the time has come:
- Your hearing has changed. Even when you have the hearing aids in, it seems like you don’t hear as well.
- Your old hearing aid just can’t keep up with your changing life. Every time you need to talk on the phone, you have to take it out and background noise has become a big problem.
- Your hearing aid keeps quitting. It’s simply not dependable anymore, and that’s problematic.
- It’s obvious that you have an analog device. Ouch, go digital fast.
- Your hearing aid feels heavy. Awkward, old technology weighs more.
- Your hearing aid is all you see when you look in a mirror. That obsolete technology takes up a lot of space, too.
- You constantly need to replace the batteries. Contemporary hearing aids are frequently rechargeable and are also more energy efficient.
It’s an easy decision. If you’ve had your hearing aids for more than seven years, it’s time to trade up and hear better.