If you still have an old-fashioned ear trumpet at hand than plainly, it’s time to upgrade. When you use conventional hearing aids, coming to that realization is more difficult. Your decade old hearing aids still function, right?
It’s possible that you are better off having older hearing aids than having none, what’s the real cost? Hearing aid technology has progressed in the past few years. It’s gone from analog to digital, to begin with, and there are features now that weren’t even in the design phase 10 years ago. Start thinking about some reasons why it’s time for you to be thinking about an upgrade.
Old Hearing Aids Are Not Very Reliable
Outdated or even poor-quality hearing aids have serious issues like that aggravating buzz you hear every now and again. How about that feedback whenever you get close to a phone, that’s enjoyable. That deafening feedback sometimes occurs for no noticeable reason. Now why is it feeding back?
You’ve Gotten Complacent With Its Failings
You’re used to going to a quiet place while everyone around you engages in conversation or wondering why the air conditioning unit is so loud. Recall 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. You still clapped, though.
Older hearing aids have all of these types of problems. A decade ago the focus was on raising the volume. Now, unwelcome noise can be filtered out and modern hearing aids can do lots of other really amazing things.
Old Hearing Aids Are Wasting Money
When you’re thinking about upgrading your hearing aid, cost is a major consideration. You will need to make an initial investment with new hearing aids but older ones will also be costly with time. Analog devices require new batteries a lot. If you are buying new batteries on a daily basis, or even more than once a day, the costs can get very high.
Old hearings aids can potentially need repair, too. If you think of your hearing aid like you think of a 1992 car you would get the point. It’s in the shop more than it is in your ear and repairs are not cheap.
Nowadays, we Have Smart Technology
Most contemporary hearing aids have Bluetooth capabilities. An analog device won’t have that feature. Having Bluetooth integrated into your digital hearing aid means it connects to your computer, your phone, possibly even your television (unless they’re ten years old, as well.)
The Key to Everything is Communication
Studies reveal that hearing loss can mean a lower paycheck. So it’s apparent that it would be an asset to your career if you had better hearing aids. You will hear your boss and customers better. You will be capable of following directions without being concerned whether you got it right and have important conversations without worrying about whether your hearing aids will cut out or not.
Of course, stronger communication means an improved quality of life, also. You don’t need to sit like a wallflower in the middle of discussions anymore. Don’t hesitate to get right in and engage with others.
You Only Want Your Hearing Aid to be More Stylish
When you look at your old hearing aid in the mirror, what words come to mind? Clunky? Obvious? Oh my god? Flexibility and style are some of the more significant reasons to replace your hearing aid. Today’s hearing aids come in various shapes, sizes, and colors. You can have one concealed so tight in your ear that nobody will even see it, or you can make a fashion statement with an out of the ear hearing aid in your favorite color.
How to Recognize When it’s Time For an Upgrade
Now you understand all the reasons you should want a hearing aid upgrade, but not what to specifically look for that says your device is at risk of being called an antique. Here are a few telling indications that the time has come:
- Your hearing has changed. Even when you have your hearing aids in your ears, it seems like you don’t hear as well.
- Your life has evolved, and your hearing aid has a hard time keeping up. It’s a pain to take it out just to talk on the phone, or perhaps you’ve changed jobs and now have to cope with more background noise.
- Your hearing aid keeps quitting. It’s just not reliable anymore, and that’s a problem.
- It’s obvious that you have an analog hearing aid. You need to go digital as soon as possible.
- Your hearing aid is heavy. Clunky, old technology weighs more.
- Your hearing aid sticks out like a sore thumb. That old technology takes up a lot of space, as well.
- You need to replace the batteries every day. Contemporary hearing aids are more energy efficient, and some come with rechargeable batteries.
It’s an easy choice. If you’ve had your hearing aids for more than seven years, it’s time to upgrade and hear better.