If you’re still wearing your older hearing aids, they might be better than no hearing aids, but they also could be costing you in some ways. Hearing aid technology has advanced a lot in the past few years! It’s changed from analog to digital, for one thing, and there are features currently that weren’t even on the drawing board a decade ago.
If you’re thinking about upgrading your hearing aids, there are a number of things you’ll have to do in order to select the best ones for your needs. A hearing exam to establish how your hearing has changed will be necessary first. Your choices will start to be narrowed down when we establish your present level of hearing loss. Here are a few reasons why it’s probably time for an upgrade.
Hearing aid reliability
Every now and then you’ll get an irritating buzz or other problems with older or low-quality hearing aids. How about when you get next to a phone and your hearing aids begin to feedback? Frequently, they will squeal with feedback for no apparent reason. Your feedback will be greatly diminished with newer models which have features that compensate for common problems.
Volume isn’t enough
Volume regulation was about the only function of hearing aids ten years ago. Hearing aids have much more technology and capability nowadays.
- 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 detect the sound of the desired voice and then amplify it. Voice focus can be useful in noisy settings or when the wearer is trying to hear someone who is speaking softly.
- Improved sound quality: Older hearing aid models had much lower quality of sound than modern-day models. Signal processing has gone to digital, which reproduces and amplifies sound in a more precise way. Modern hearing aids also often offer custom programs that are set for specific situations.
- Bluetooth capability: Tvs, cellphones, and other equipped devices can now be connected to your hearing aid. Making phone calls or listening to music becomes simple with this.
- Background noise reduction: Modern hearing aids use numerous techniques to decrease background noise, including directional microphones, noise filters, and feedback cancellation. Noise filters reduce undesired noise while directional microphones are designed to detect sound directly in front of you. When your hearing aid is not properly fitted, a whistling sound can occur which will be prevented by feedback nullification.
Frequent battery replacement
When we’re talking about a hearing aid upgrade, price is always a consideration. The new technology is not inexpensive, but neither is wearing old, outdated hearing aids. Analog devices need new batteries a lot. If you are replacing the battery every day, or even more frequently than that, the cost adds up.
Old hearing aids break down and need to go to the shop for repair more often. If you think of your hearing aid as a 1992 Buick, you get the idea. It’s in for repair more than it’s in your ear and the repairs are not inexpensive.
You’re not capable of hearing at work
Studies show that hearing loss can lead to a lower income. Doesn’t it seem sensible then, that better hearing aids would be a career advantage? You’ll have a better time hearing what customers, coworkers, and your boss are saying to you. You will follow instructions without questioning if you got it right and have important discussions without worrying about whether your hearing aids will cut out or not.
Of course, stronger communication means a better quality of life, also. You don’t have to sit by yourself in the middle of discussions anymore. Get right back into being socially connected.
You want a smaller hearing aid
What do you think when you look in the mirror and see that outdated hearing aid? Clunky? Noticeable? OMG? Some of the most significant benefits that come with updating old hearing aids are style and flexibility. Modern hearing aids come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. You could either get one in your favorite color and make a fashion statement or get one discrete enough that it will go unseen by others.
If you’re considering investing in new hearing aids, or if you already have them but you’re not happy with the results, think about upgrading to a newer model. The things that contemporary technology has allowed hearing aids to do was never possible before. Get in touch with us for a consultation.