Upgrading Your Hearing Aids

Hearing aids and assisted devices age with time. Constant technological development renders them obsolete more and more quickly, it seems. Even if you have a hearing aid that is in working order, you may want to consider upgrading.

The lifespan of your hearing aid depends on many factors. Typically, you can expect it to serve you for anywhere between three and seven years—and in some cases even longer! It is dependent on how well the instrument is built, how often it receives maintenance, and the general wear and tear of daily use.

When your hearing aid stops working consistently, you may be eligible for new aids or a significant repair. However, there are reasons you may want to schedule an appointment with your audiologist or board-certified hearing instrument specialist to discuss an upgrade, even if your hearing aid is still in working condition.  

Changes in Your Hearing 

Age-related hearing loss is a degenerative condition, which means it worsens as you get older. You should be getting like-new performance from your hearing aids, but if you are no longer getting that level of performance it may be time for an adjustment. Schedule an appointment with your hearing doctor to see if your hearing ability has changed beyond the capability of your current hearing aids. It is possible that you may need to upgrade to a more powerful instrument or a device with new technologies that meet your changing needs.

In order to benefit fully from your hearing aids, they must also be set to your hearing prescription. Your audiologist or hearing instrument specialist will calculate your hearing prescription, but generally, more hearing aid volume is prescribed for worse hearing levels. Your hearing health care professional will perform a “real-ear measurement” to measure the sound levels produced by your hearing aids while you are wearing them to verify that they are meeting your prescription. Without this measurement procedure, it is not possible to ensure that your hearing aids are functioning properly. 

Changes in Lifestyle

Substantial changes in your lifestyle can also have an impact on how effectively your hearing aid can serve your needs. Starting a new office job with busy meetings and conference calls, a teaching job, or working on a construction site can all be impactful on your hearing and require a significant adjustment to your hearing aids. Even moving in with a large family or into a group home where there is much conversation and social activity can create the need for new hearing aids. If you were originally fitted for hearing aids based on a quieter lifestyle, any one of these scenarios could be the determining factor for hearing aids with more power or advanced technological capabilities.

Advances in Technology

Another good—and logical— reason to consider an upgrade is due to the advancements in hearing aid manufacturing. Many hearing aids now have features that were not available even a few years ago. Smart syncing technology is a big one of them. This allows you to connect your hearing aids to smart devices—computers, smartphones, televisions, audio equipment, and more—usually through Bluetooth for an easier hearing experience. There are also fun color options available to personalize your style.

Some hearing aids, like the Widex Evoke, are able to do a better job of separating conversation from environmental noise by working with how your brain helps in hearing—features that help you to understand better and reduce mental fatigue. The brains inside of these devices work to automatically adjust and perform optimally to take the strain off of your brain.

Paying for an Upgrade 

The cost of a potential upgrade or replacement must be taken into consideration. If you are receiving funding from the government or other third party, there could be limits on how often you can replace your hearing aids. For example, Medicaid regulations for hearing aids in Florida dictate one per ear every three years, while Idaho is restricted to one hearing aid in a lifetime. The Hearing Loss Association of America’s (HLAA) website has more information about Medicaid regulations.

Private insurance companies are a bit more conservative and are less likely to help cover costs of new hearing aids. However, if you live in New Hampshire or Rhode Island, you could be entitled to upgrades through your insurer. In Arkansas, insurers must offer coverage to employers in the state. You can find more information about financing your hearing aids at AARP or ask your hearing health care professional for recommendations.

Visit Your Hearing Health Provider

Notwithstanding how well your current hearing aid is performing, it may be worth making an appointment with your hearing health care professional to see what options are currently available to you. You can ask your audiologist to improve the fitting, which may include adjusting the programming, cleaning the aids, or repairing them to some degree. However, if that does not solve the problem replacing them could be the answer.

Now more than ever before, technology has innovated the manufacturing of hearing aids and equipped them with new features not previously available. These features are in place to make life a bit easier, a bit more connected. Talk to your audiologist about your current lifestyle and if any of these features could be of benefit to you. If your work, hobbies, and social life have changed significantly since your first fitting, you could certainly be in the market for an upgrade. The benefits are many and primary, but tertiary benefits include lowered risk of mental fatigue, social isolation, and depression.

Essentially, better hearing health leads to better overall health. So, schedule an appointment with your audiologist or a board-certified hearing instrument specialist today to keep the dialogue about your hearing health going. Ask questions about new developments in hearing aid technologies and how they can work for you. In the world of exciting technological development, do not let your hearing get left behind.