Congratulations on your first new pair of hearing aids! Welcome to the journey to better hearing health and better overall quality of life. Your hearing aids are a significant investment, and a natural question to ask is how long your hearing aids will last. Will they last forever?
The answer is no, probably not. While they can last a long time, they probably won’t last forever. But that’s perfectly normal! On average, most hearing aid users replace or upgrade their hearing aids every three to seven years. So, let’s go over why that is with some common reasons why you may want an upgrade in a few years.
Technology Wears Out
Hearing aids are designed to be hardy and durable. However, as you’ll be using your hearing aids daily and for several hours at a time, they will degrade over time, just like a smartphone or a car. The materials used will age and weaken. Exposure to the elements every day will weather them. The digital components and mini-computers will wear out. All of these are natural and hard to prevent—though you can delay aging by taking good care of your hearing aids.
Changes to Your Ears
Your body will also age over the course of your hearing aids’ lifespan. Your hearing loss will change or progress as time goes on, which may necessitate a new prescription, requiring a hearing aid upgrade. Your ear canals can also change shape over time. In fact, studies show that everyday jaw movement, such as chewing or talking, can alter the shape of your ear canals and even lead to asymmetry between your left and right ear canals. You can “outgrow” your hearing aids, and it’s a good idea to get new hearing aids when that happens to make sure they continue to fit properly.
Changes in Lifestyle or Preferences
When choosing your preferred style of hearing aids during your initial audiologist appointment, one of the considerations was your lifestyle. But lifestyles change. For example, if you have begun hiking more frequently, you’ll need a hearing aid that can stand a new active lifestyle, or if you acquire a new tech gadget that is incompatible with your current hearing aids, you may want an upgrade for that, too.
You may also change your preferences regarding hearing aid style. Perhaps you want a new, more discreet style, or you want to switch from replaceable button batteries to rechargeable hearing aids. A style that you liked five years ago may not suit you anymore, and that’s normal.
Advances in Technology
One reason audiologists recommend upgrading every five or so years is that hearing aid technology advances so much in those five years. Updates in software, microphone and speaker technology, and available accessories mean a better hearing experience. The technology in the most advanced hearing aids available six or seven years ago would be considered basic today. While some people are content to stick with what they have if it still performs for them, many others want to benefit from new technology that becomes available later.
Damage
Despite your best efforts to keep them safe, hearing aids can get damaged or lost. They’re small and used heavily daily, which makes them susceptible to breaking.
Your audiologist will be able to perform routine cleaning and maintenance appointments on your hearing aids, which will lengthen their lifespan considerably. Call Audiology Associates of Redding today to find out more or book an appointment.