You Want To Try A Different Type Of Device
If youre being fitted for a hearing aid for the first time, you could be pleasantly surprised at the amount of choice that exists. To help you get used to wearing a hearing aid, you might choose a basic device to start with, moving onto something different in time. Hearing aids have different functions and settings, and for your next device, you might want to invest in something a little more advanced.
Your budget can also affect the type of hearing aid you choose. Its important to find a hearing aid you can afford, and if your financial situation improves in time, you might want to invest in a different type of hearing aid. Your audiologist can work with you to recommend the most appropriate hearing aid to fit in your needs and price range.
Help And Support If You Wear Hearing Aids
Adjusting to hearing aids can be difficult at first. It may take a few weeks or months to get used to them.
You’ll have follow-up appointments after they’re fitted to check how things are going, but get in touch with your audiologist at any point if you’re having problems.
Several hearing loss organisations can also provide help and support if you’re adapting to hearing loss or life with a hearing aid.
When New Technology Becomes Available
Technology in hearing aids is changing all the time and very quickly it could be that something new that is introduced would be able to give you more benefits. It is always worth checking on line or asking your audiologist if there is anything new that could be worth you trying out.
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The information provided through this website should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, you should consult your health care provider. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the Hearing Like Me website. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or emergency medical services immediately.
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What Is A Wax Trap
Wax traps are smallplastic pieces that are attached to the hearing aid. The purpose of the waxtraps is to prevent wax, debris, and moisture from getting into the receiver of your hearing aid. This is very important. If wax, debris, ormoisture does get into the receiver, it could affect sound quality or cause thehearing aid to malfunction.
How Do You Know If The Time Has Come For An Upgrade
Now you know all of the reasons you should upgrade your hearing aids. However, some telltale signs will indicate that your hearing aid is obsolete:
- Your ability to hear has changed. youre not hearing as well as you once did even with the hearing aid in .
- Your life has changed, and your hearing aid has a tough time keeping up. Its a chore to take it out just to talk on the phone, or maybe youve switched jobs and now you need to deal with more background noise.
- Your hearing aid keeps quitting. It just isnt reliable anymore, and thats a big problem.
- You know for a fact that your hearing aid is analog. Ouch, time to go digital.
- Your hearing aid feels heavy. Clunky, old technology is heavier.
- When you look in the mirror, your hearing aid is all you can see. That old technology takes up a lot of space, too.
- You are replacing the batteries every day. Contemporary hearing aids are more energy efficient and some come with rechargeable batteries.
Its not brain surgery. If youve owned your hearing aids for more than seven years, its time to trade up and hear better. Contact a hearing aid professional to get started.
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How Often Do You Have To Replace A Hearing Aid
Hearing aids are an incredibly effective yet complicated technology to support and boost your hearing ability. Inside youll find advanced microelectronics from wireless radios to computer processors. Much like an older computer, youll likely run into a few needed repairs from regular day-to-day usage over the years.
Which begs the question: How often do you have to replace a hearing aid?
Each case of replacing your hearing aids will depend on a few factors well walk through below. But the general rule of thumb is to consult your hearing healthcare provider about new hearing aids every three to five years.
How Often Should I Replace My Hearing Aids
Todays hearing aids are more sophisticated than ever before. They utilize the most advanced microelectronics, wireless radios, and computer processors, and they are built to exacting specifications to offer the best hearing possible. This includes being as resistant to moisture, dust and dirt as a high-tech instrument that sits in your ear all day can be.However, this does not mean hearing aids never break down or never need to be replaced.
If hearing aids are worn in the manner they are designed to be worn meaning every day all day long then they are guaranteed to be exposed to some pretty rough environments. This can include perspiration, body oils, ear wax, hair spray, lotion, makeup, rain, humidity, dust, pollen, etc.
Add to that, hearing aids get dropped, rattled around in purses and back packs, twisted and turned while putting them in and taking them out, and much more. Overall, they take quite a beating but keeping performing.
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How Often Do I Need To Repair My Current Hearing Aids
As hearing aids generally get sent back every two or three years for refurbishment and small repairs are conducted by the audiologist approximately every six months, if you find the hearing aids begin to malfunction with age or the technology is older it might be better for you to purchase newer hearing aids instead of paying for repairs every time.
Have I Often Needed To Send My Hearing Aids In For Repair
Hearing aids generally get sent back to the manufacturer every 2-3 years for refurbishment. Smaller repairs that can be done at an audiologist office typically happen about every 6 months. Find out more info with the article titled Do Hearing Aids Wear Out?
Thoughhearing aids last around five to six years, that does not necessarily mean thatthey will shut down and stop working once they become six years old. Somepeople may even continue to use their hearing aids until they are nine or tenyears old. Instead of shutting down, the hearing aid may likely sound weaker orhave more malfunctions with age.
If you have older technology that continues to break down, it may be a better financial move to purchase new hearing aids, rather than pay for multiple repairs.
Hearingaids, like any piece of technology, have several components that may breakdown. Older hearing aids are more likely to break down due to age and continueduse. For example, dust and debris may work its way down into the hearing aidmicrophones over time. Additionally, consistent use of a hearing aid may causewear on the receiver or other wires and components inside the hearing aid.
If yourhearing aid is out of warranty, the bill to repair these components can getfairly expensive. Additionally, the older a hearing aid is, the less likely itis for your audiologist to havethe correct parts to repair it.
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How Often Does The Wax Guard Need To Be Changed
It varies depending on how much ear wax produces. Every patient is completely divergent from the quantity of wax they can produce. They said the schedule for changing the wax filter will vary once in a week, to once every few months, to never to be changed.
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The wax filter is there to stop wax from getting into the sensitive components of your hearing aid. While this becomes stopped with wax or debris, theyll need to be replaced since it can affect the sound quality of the hearing aid or even create the hearing aid inactive. Once the wax or debris becomes visible, you must to examine the wax filter frequently and replace it also.
In The Ear Hearing Aids
In the ear hearing aids fill the area just outside the opening of your ear.
They cannot be seen from behind, unlike BTE or RITE hearing aids, but they are visible from the side.
ITE hearing aids are suitable for most people with hearing loss, although they can be trickier to use than BTE or RITE hearing aids.
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Every Year Hearing Aid Technology Improves
Purchasing new hearing aids wont just supply you with a more reliable set. During the time you wore the older devices, hearing aid technology will have advanced quite a bit. This means better sound quality, better hearing in noise, advancements in wireless technology, more accessory options, streaming capabilities and more life-enhancing features.
Like all technology, hearing aids continue to improve. Investing in new hearing aids regularly provides reliable hearing aids that give you the best hearing possible, which is always the most important part of the whole process. The return on investment with hearing aids is always priceless as well.
How Often Should You Get New Hearing Aids
Contributed by Joy Victory, managing editor, Healthy HearingLast updated August 31, 20202020-08-31T00:00:00-05:00
Hearing aids are complex devices, so it’s important to understand when it’s time to start considering buying a new pair.
Hearing aids need replacing every few years, depending on several factors.
Aside from when your hearing aids are beyond repair as determined by a hearing specialist or audiologist, here are some other reasons to consider upgrading your hearing aids:
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How Long Do Hearing Aids Last
Most people wear a hearing aid daily, in the same way they wear glasses or contact lenses. So, you might be surprised to learn that a hearing aid can last three to five years when cared for correctly. This can depend on how often you wear your hearing aid, as well as factors such as how well you care for it. Changes to your hearing can also necessitate a new hearing aid, which an audiologist will be able to advise you on.
Just Because Youve Become Used To It Failing That Doesnt Mean Its Ok
Youve become accustomed to sitting off to the side in silent introspection while others are engaging in the conversation. How unfortunate was the time your grandson sang you a tune he learned but you could only hear little bits and pieces? You just pretended that you heard it but you didnt.
Outdated hearing aids have all of these issues. With the last generation technology, we just cranked up the volume. Today, hearing aids perform amazing tasks such as filtering out background noise. So say goodbye to that air conditioner noise. It was not really that loud.
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The Question Is Why Shouldnt Your Hearing Aids Be More Stylish
When you look in the mirror at your out of date hearing aid, what comes to mind? Awkward? Noticeable? Oh my god? When you upgrade your obsolete hearing aids you have the significant benefit of improved flexibility and refined style. There is a never-ending variety of personalizations possible with modern hearing aids such as size, color, and shape. If you want to make a fashion statement, choose a custom color, or maybe choose one that is invisible inside the ear.
You’ve Made Major Lifestyle Changes
Sometimes, a lifestyle change is an excellent reason to get new hearing aids. You might realize that the technology level is no longer meeting your needs or is outdated. For example, you got a new phone and watch a lot of videos on it, but can’t connect the sound directly to your hearing aids. Or, perhaps you’re getting out and hiking a lot more than you used to, so you need hearing aids that can stand up to more rugged environments and are good at blocking wind noise. Or, on the other hand, if you don’t get out as much as you used to, a more basic model may work just fine for your needs.
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Your Hearing Has Changed
Even if you have had hearing aids for some time, your hearing can still change. If you remember, your eyes change as you age your hearing is the same. Current devices may not be as powerful as you’d like, and so over time, your hearing may become accustomed to the sound you hear and when it changes and gets worse, you may need new hearing aids.
It Can Be Expensive Having Out Of Date Hearing Aids
One concern when you are purchasing new hearing aids is definitely the cost. When you carefully consider all the factors, you will realize that older outdated hearing aids will wind up costing you more than new ones. Analog devices need new batteries regularly. It can be costly to replace the batteries once or even twice every day.
Lets not forget the repair costs with out of date technology. Think about having to deal with an old car or truck. Repair services are costly if your hearing aid is in the shop more than its in your ear.
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It Can Be Costly Keeping Old Hearing Aids
One concern when youre thinking of buying new hearing aids is certainly cost. When you carefully consider all the factors, you will come to realize that older outdated hearing aids will wind up costing more than new ones. outdated hearing aids are analog technology and that means new batteries constantly. It can be costly to replace the batteries once or even a couple of times a day.
Dont forget the service costs with outdated technology. You can compare it to an old truck. Its in the shop more often than its in your ear and repair services are not cheap.
Your Hearing Aids Are More Than 5 Years Old
Most hearing aids last between three and seven years. Many people wonder why they don’t last longer, but the fact is that all hearing aids experience a lot of wear and tear. Think about it: What other sophisticated electronic device do you wear all day that’s directly connected to you, working constantly? Even if you take very good care of your device , continued natural exposure to moisture and ear wax has a damaging effect over time.
Also, older devices simply don’t function as efficiently as newer models and can even become obsolete. Today’s modern hearing aids are essentially tiny computers that run algorithms to constantly refine your hearing experience. Depending on the hearing aid you buy, it likely uses advanced technology to:
- detect and minimize unnecessary background noise or wind noise
- detect and amplify the speaker directly in front of you
- be programmable via a smartphone app
- connect to external devices via Bluetooth
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Are My Current Hearing Aids Still Addressing My Listening Needs
The firstquestion to ask yourself when wondering if its time for new hearing aids is:Are my current hearing aids still getting the job done? Think about thedifferent listening environments you are in on a day-to-day basis. Do you feelyourself struggling in these environments? How well do your hearing aids helpyou?
Somecommon listening situations are listed below. Think about these listeningenvironments, as well as other listening environments you experience regularly.As you read through the list, think about how important those situations are toyou and rate your satisfaction in each listening situation when wearing yourhearing aids. If you find that there are several situations that your hearingaids are not performing like you think they used to, it could be time toconsider new hearing aids.
- One-on-oneconversations
- Listeningto music
- Placeof worship
Yourhearing is likely to gradually diminish over time, even if you wear hearingaids. Some people whose hearing has diminished after a few years may realize that they need more advanced technology.
Additionally, if the insertion of the hearing aid into the ear is difficult due to dexterity issues, it might be time to consider a different style of hearing aid . Maybe you are having difficulty getting the small dome of a receiver-in-the-canal hearing aid into your ear. Then it might be time for a custom earmold.
Can I Afford New Hearing Aids Right Now
Asmentioned previously , hearing aids can be quite expensive. If you arepaying out of pocket for part or all of the expense of hearing aids, then youare sure to see the dent it makes in your bank account.
For thisreason, if you are personally financing your hearing aid replacement, then youmust determine if you can afford it at this time or if it would be a smarterchoice to wait and save up for newer technology.
Some typesof insurances cover all or part of the cost of hearing aids. If you receivefunding from insurance , there may belimitations on how often you can replace your hearing aids. For example, someinsurance companies state that they will cover 100% of the cost of hearingaids every three years. Other companies may cover the hearing aids once perlifetime. The amount covered is different for each person, so you will need tocontact your insurance company personally to determine if you have any benefitsfor hearing aids.
If you area US Veteran receiving hearing aids from the US Department of Veteran Affairs, they typically replace hearing aids every4-5 years.
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