If you still have an old-school ear trumpet in hand than obviously, it’s time for an upgrade. Making that call when you wear conventional hearing aids is more difficult, however, so how does one know? Your ten year old hearing aids still function, right?
Maybe you are better off using obsolete hearing aids than not having one, what’s the real price? In the last few years, hearing aids have dramatically advanced. Some of the functions of contemporary hearing aids hadn’t even been invented a decade ago. For starters, they’ve advanced to digital from analog. Think about some reasons why it’s time for you to be thinking about an upgrade.
Old Hearing Aids Are Not Very Reliable
Lower quality or older hearing aids frequently have an irritating buzzing noise. What about that feedback whenever you get near a phone, that’s a lot of fun. That deafening feedback occasionally happens for no obvious reason. What caused it now?
You’ve Become Desensitized to its Low Quality
You’re used to sitting in quiet self-reflection while everybody around you is involved in conversation or wondering why the air conditioning unit is so loud. Do you remember when your hearing aid kept dropping out when you were attempting to listen to your grandson perform a song and you could only hear parts of what they were singing. Of course, you still clapped.
Older hearing aids have all of these kinds of problems. A decade ago the emphasis was on turning up the volume. Today, hearing aids perform magic tricks like filtering out background noise, so say goodbye to the air conditioner.
Old Hearing Aids Will Cost You More Money
Cost is always a factor in relation to an upgrade. Newer technology is not cheap, but neither is wearing an old, out-of-date hearing aid. You will be continually buying new batteries when you have an analog hearing aid. You can imagine how costly it will be, replacing batteries at least once every day.
Repair costs can also soar with out dated hearing aids. If you think of your hearing aid as a 1992 Buick, you’ll get the idea. It’s in the repair shop more than it’s in your ear and repairs expensive.
Today, we Have Smart Tech
Bluetooth capability is a newer technology which has transformed hearing aid functionality. You won’t get that in an analog unit. Having Bluetooth integrated into your digital hearing aid means that it connects to your computer, your phone, perhaps even your tv (unless they’re a decade old, too.)
Communication is The Secret to Everything
It has been shown by research, that you could earn less money if you have hearing loss. Doesn’t it make sense 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 worry about missing some crucial information or if your hearing aid battery will die when you need it most.
Of course, better communication means a better quality of life, too. You won’t need to go sit alone while people are having conversations. Jump right in and engage with the people around you.
You Really Want a Sleeker Looking Hearing Aid
When you look in the mirror at your old hearing aid, what words come to mind? Clunky? Obvious? Oh my god? One of the most considerable benefits that come with upgrading old hearing aids is style and versatility. Today’s hearing aids come in a number of colors, sizes, and shapes. You can have one tucked so tight into 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 That it’s Time For an Upgrade
Now you understand all the reasons why you should want a hearing aid upgrade, but not what you should specifically look for that says your device is at risk of being called an antique. The time has come and here are the signs:
- There are changes in your hearing. You don’t hear as good as you once did even with the hearing aid in.
- Your life has evolved, and your hearing aid has a difficult time keeping up. It’s a chore to take it out just to use the phone, or perhaps you got a new job and now have to deal with more background noise.
- Your hearing aid intermittently cuts out. You just can’t count on it functioning when you need it most.
- You know for a fact your hearing aid is analog. Ouch, go digital fast.
- Your hearing aid feels heavy. Awkward, old technology weighs a lot.
- Your hearing aid juts out like a sore thumb. Back when that old hearing aid was made, technology was much larger.
- You constantly need to replace the batteries. Contemporary hearing aids are more energy efficient, and many come with rechargeable batteries.
It’s not rocket science. It’s time to replace your hearing aids if they’re more than 7 years old.