You know it’s time to replace your hearing aid if you’re still using one of those old-school ear trumpets. Coming to that realization when you have conventional hearing aids is more difficult, however, so how does one know? Your decade old hearing aids still function, right?
Maybe you are better off having obsolete hearing aids than not having one, what’s the real price? Hearing aid technology has advanced in the last several years. It’s gone from analog to digital, to begin with, and there are features now that weren’t even in the design phase a decade ago. Consider some reasons why you should be thinking about an upgrade.
Old Hearing Aids Are Unreliable
Outdated or even poor-quality hearing aids have serious issues like that aggravating buzz you hear every once in a while. How about that feedback whenever you get near a phone, that’s a lot of fun. Occasionally that shrill feedback comes out of nowhere, too. What caused it now?
You’ve Become Complacent With Its Failings
You are used to going to a quiet place while everyone around you engages in conversation or questioning why the air conditioning unit is so loud. Don’t forget 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.
Older hearing aids have all of these types of issues. Turning up the volume was the main objective in hearing aids ten years ago. Now, undesirable noise can be filtered out and modern hearing aids can do lots of other really awesome things.
Old Hearing Aids Are Bleeding Money
Cost is always an issue when it comes to an upgrade. The new technology is not cheap, but neither is wearing an old, obsolete hearing aid. You will be continually buying new batteries with an analog hearing aid. If you are purchasing new batteries on a daily basis, or even more than once a day, the costs can get very high.
Repair costs can also be very high with older hearing aids. If you think of your hearing aid like you think of a 1992 car you would understand where we are coming from. Repairs are expensive and it’s constantly in the repair shop.
Today, we Have Smart Technology
Many modern hearing aids have Bluetooth capabilities. An analog hearing aid won’t come with that feature. Having Bluetooth built into your digital hearing aid means it connects to your computer, your phone, maybe even your television (unless they’re a decade old, too.)
Communication is The Key to Everything
Studies reveal that hearing loss can lead to a lower paycheck. So it’s clear that it would be an asset to your career if you had better hearing aids. It will be easier to hear what your boss and customers are saying. You won’t need to worry 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 don’t have to sit like a wallflower in the middle of discussions anymore. Jump right in and get involved 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, how do you feel? Awkward? Totally obvious? Oh my god? One of the most significant perks that come with replacing old hearing aids is style and flexibility. You can get hearing aids in numerous colors, sizes, and shapes today. You can wear a visible one in your favorite color or a discrete 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 necessary, now it’s time to find out what makes a hearing aid obsolete. The time has come and here are the indications:
- Your hearing has changed. Even when you have the hearing aids in, it seems like you can’t hear as well.
- Your outdated hearing aid just can’t keep up with your evolving life. Whenever you have to use the phone, you have to take it out and background noise has become a real problem.
- Your hearing aid randomly cuts out. It’s just not reliable anymore, and that’s problematic.
- It’s clear that you have an analog device. You need to go digital as soon as you can.
- Your hearing aid is heavy. Analog hearing aids weigh a lot.
- Your hearing aid juts out like a sore thumb. That old technology occupies a lot of space, too.
- You are replacing the batteries every day. Contemporary hearing aids are more energy efficient, and many come with rechargeable batteries.
It’s an easy decision. It’s time to replace your hearing aids if they’re more than 7 years old.