While it may be true that older hearing aids are better than no hearing aids, chances are what small benefit you get from them comes at a cost. Within the last few years, hearing aid technology has made substantial developments. A decade ago many of the features of current hearing aids weren’t even on the drawing board, going digital for instance.
If you’re considering upgrading your hearing aids, there are a number of things you’ll need to do to select the right ones for your needs. A hearing exam to identify how your hearing has changed will be required first. Once you recognize how much hearing loss you have, you can begin to narrow down your options. Here are a few reasons why it’s probably time to upgrade.
Reliability of hearing aids
Every now and then you’ll get an irritating buzz or other issues with older or low-quality hearing aids. What about when you get next to a phone and your hearing aids begin to feedback? At times, they will squeal with feedback for no distinct reason. Newer designs compensate for common problems so that you hear feedback less often.
Volume isn’t enough
Volume regulation was about the only function of hearing aids a decade ago. Hearing aids have much more technology and capability nowadays.
- Background noise reduction: Feedback nullification, noise filters, and directional microphones are a few of the many techniques utilized by modern hearing aids. Noise filters reduce unwanted noise while directional microphones are made to detect sound right in front of you. When your hearing aid isn’t correctly fitted, a whistling sound can occur which will be prevented by feedback nullification.
- Bluetooth capability: This feature allows hearing aids to sync to other devices, such as smartphones, TVs, and other smart devices. Making phone calls or listening to music becomes easy with this.
- Improved sound quality: Older hearing aid models had far lower quality of sound than modern-day models. This is the result of advances in digital signal processing, which allows hearing aids to more precisely duplicate sound. Modern hearing aids also often offer custom programs that are preset for specific settings.
- Voice focus: Some hearing aids also provide voice focus, which helps the wearer to focus on the voices they want to hear. This is done by utilizing directional microphones to pick up the sound of the desired voice and then boost it. When somebody is speaking quietly or in a noisy setting, voice focus can be quite helpful.
You have to replace the batteries – a lot
Price is always a factor with regard to a hearing aid upgrade. You may think that upgrading your hearing aid will be too costly, but old outdated hearing aids can be costly also. The batteries in analog devices go dead and need to be replaced frequently. The costs will add up, especially if you have to replace batteries daily or more.
Old hearing aids can oftentimes spend more time getting repaired, too. If you think of your hearing aid as a 1992 Buick, you get the concept. The costs of the constant repairs can get quickly out of hand.
You’re not capable of hearing at work
Studies show that hearing loss can mean a reduced income. Naturally, your career would be improved by wearing better hearing aids. You’ll have an easier time hearing what clients, coworkers, and your boss are saying to you. You won’t have to be concerned about whether you’ll miss critical information or instructions.
And with better communication, you will have a better quality of life. You’ll be able to communicate with people again. Dive in and engage with the people around you.
You want a smaller hearing aid
When you look in the mirror at your outdated hearing aid, what words come to mind? Clunky? Obvious? OMG? Flexibility and style are some of the most compelling reasons to upgrade those old hearing aids. Quite a few styles, shapes, and sizes are available in modern hearing aids. You can have one nestled into your ear so no one will ever see it, or you can make a fashion statement with a visible hearing aid in a color you love.
It’s time to think about upgrading your hearing aids if you’re unhappy with the results you’re getting from your old set. Technology has come a long way in the past few years, and there are now hearing aids available that can do things that were impossible in the past. Call us today to talk about your options.