When to Buy New Hearing Aids

Hearing aids last a long time, they usually last between three years and seven. For some people, they can last even longer. But there are so many different things that can affect its lifespan. For example, how well it is looked after, the wear and tear it experiences as well as the quality of the instrument in question. When a hearing aid stops working, getting a new hearing aid or at least, a repair is essential. But there are times where you might consider buying a new hearing aid, even though your current one is working fine.

Are you experiencing changes in your hearing? 

If you are experiencing changes in your hearing as you get older, you may very well not be getting a good quality performance from your hearing aid. In which case, it may be time to see an audiologist to have a hearing test to determine the new thresholds of your hearing, or you may need to upgrade to a more powerful instrument that meets your needs.

Are you experiencing changes in your life? 

You may have changed your living situation, or your job or external changes have put a demand on your hearing aid. For example, a new job that requires focusing on a noisy environment like a construction site or a restaurant or even an office job that requires more conference calls or meetings, will result in changes to your hearing aid needs. If you were fitted for hearing aids based on a quieter lifestyle and your life has significantly changed, you may need hearing aids with newer functions and capabilities.

Do you want a more advanced hearing aid? 

If you’ve been using the same hearing aids for many years, the changes in hearing technology may have advanced more than you realize. If you don’t have a hearing aid with Bluetooth technology, this can make a significant difference to the quality of your life, especially as far as phone calls and device connectivity is concerned. In addition to this, it may not just be the technological advancements that you could do with upgrading. Older hearing aids are not as comfortable or compact. If you’ve experienced significant changes in your life, you may need to upgrade to something that is more durable where you aren’t so worried about causing damage to it. For example, if you go swimming, you can benefit from a waterproof hearing aid.

Are all your hearing aid needs being addressed? 

Even if you haven’t significantly changed your lifestyle, there may be certain things that have altered over the last few years. In which case, you need to ask yourself if your hearing aid is meeting your everyday needs. Think about the common everyday situations you find yourself in, such as family gatherings or watching television and if the hearing aid is giving you 100% satisfaction. There can be times where the hearing aid is not performing as well as it should but this is when you have to really consider upgrading.

Do you need to send your hearing aid in for repairs? 

As hearing aids are built from sensitive electronic components, they can be easily damaged if they are overexposed to external issues, such as debris, sweat, earwax and humidity. Depending on the environment you frequent, and the habits you undertake, they could result in your hearing aid not being cleaned or dried thoroughly. In addition, living in certain conditions may result in replacing your hearing aids more often. For example, if you lead a particularly active lifestyle, you may expose your hearing aid to excessive sweat, debris as well as wear and tear.

Is it time to visit your audiologist?

All these issues can highlight the need to purchase a new hearing aid. We make significant changes to our lives and our hearing aid should reflect these changes. But there will also be times that your hearing aid becomes more exposed to wear and tear. No matter how carefully we look after our hearing aids, there will be times when we must take it for repairs, essential maintenance or decide that it’s now time to bite the bullet and replace it completely.

Even if you have experienced a decline in your hearing loss, it is important to get advice from an audiologist to guarantee that you are getting the best hearing aids for your individual needs. If you are considering purchasing new hearing aid, you can get in contact with Flynn Associates at Concord: (978) 759-3540 or Wellesley at (781) 943-5040, to discuss the next stage in your hearing aid journey.