For those of us whose ears have heard better days, hearing aids offer relief and support to hear the world around us. Like putting on a pair of glasses, hearing aids prepare us to take on the day by ensuring our senses are tuned and ready.
Your hearing aid is specific to you and your hearing loss, and may even have features that suit your lifestyle or style preferences (like a discreet in-ear mold, or a pink receiver in your favorite color). And just like you can change over time, your hearing aids should too. In fact, the average recommended lifespan for hearing aids is around 3-5 years.
New hearing aid models offer unprecedented features including multi-directional listening, Bluetooth connection, and more. If you got your hearing aids in or before 2021, avoid the risks of living with an outdated hearing aid and see how upgrading your hearing aids can upgrade your life.
Risks and Warning Signs of Old Hearing Aids:
Hearing aids can be expensive, which is why it’s understandable that you would want to use them until they simply don’t work anymore. But the longer you use one that’s no longer at its prime, the more dangerous it can be for your health.
Risks of wearing an old hearing aid include:
- Missing sounds you previously heard, risking falls or other dangerous scenarios
- Further damaging your hearing
- Unnecessary discomfort or pain
But how will you know when your hearing aid isn’t functioning as it should be? A couple of signs your hearing aid may be on the fritz are:
- Weak or distorted sound
- Whistling and feedback
- Improper or uncomfortable fit
- Batteries draining quickly
While your hearing aids may sound fine to your untrained ear, an audiologist can quickly determine if your hearing aid is no longer providing you with value. From adjusting improper programming to replacing outdated technology, your audiologist can help you get to the bottom of if and how your hearing aid is failing you.
Futuristic Features
Hearing aid technology has evolved significantly in recent years, so, while you may not be excited about having to replace your old hearing aid, you can get excited about some of the nifty new features modern hearing aids bring to the table:
- Multi-Directional Listening: Have you ever been in a conversation and someone calls your name across the room, but you didn’t hear it because you weren’t facing them? Multi-directional hearing aids allow you to hear with a 360-degree range of hearing. Like peripheral vision, surround-sound hearing will give you a greater perception of the world around you than single-direction hearing aids.
- Less Whistling: Do you ever get an annoying whistling sound or feedback from your hearing aid? Hearing aids from recent years have mastered the art of sound blocking and noise dampening, letting you focus on the sounds worth listening to.
- Bluetooth Connectivity: As all of our lives become more technology-centric, it only makes sense that your hearing aid adapts to the new norm. New hearing aids connect to Bluetooth-enabled smartphones and TVs so you can take calls, listen to your favorite shows, and stay connected to the world at your fingertips.
- Rechargeable Batteries: Let’s face it, those tiny hearing aid batteries are too small even for nimble hands. Rechargeable hearing aids are much easier to manage and can be docked on your nightstand every night, ready bright and early every next day.
Upgrade Your Hearing Aids Today at the MedRx Hearing Center
Hearing aids help us dial into the world around us, allowing us to present for the moments that matter most. If your hearing aids are more than a few years old, or it’s been over a year since you’ve visited an audiologist, it’s time to make an appointment.
Your local audiologist, Dr. Amanda Kluzynski at the MedRx Hearing Center can test your hearing aids for failure using a series of technical tests to see how well your hearing aids stack up against the manufacturer’s product specifications. In other words, she’ll help you find out if your hearing aids are up to par.
Don’t delay better hearing, book your appointment to test your hearing aids by giving us a call at 727-584-9696.