It’s difficult to be apart from your hearing aid after you get accustomed to using one. After all, your hearing aids are crucial to connect to your world. But it will periodically need to be updated or swapped out just like all technology.
A hearing aid’s average lifespan
From 3 to 7 years will be the average lifespan of a hearing aid. You will need to get routine hearing exams to make sure your current hearing aid is still the best solution for your hearing needs, and the 3 to 7 year lifespan isn’t etched in stone. Technology is continuously improving and some hearing aids wear out more rapidly than others so it’s good to be open to other options should your hearing change.
There are other factors that will influence the longevity of your hearing aids
So, that’s just the average life of a hearing aid. Meaning that there are plenty of individuals who may see their hearing aids last much longer. Here are a number of considerations that will determine how long your hearing aid should last:
- Build quality: It can be pricey to invest in hearing aids. But, you usually get what you pay for, like with most things in life. Your hearing aid will last longer if it has better construction.
- Functionality: Technology is constantly changing and hearing aids are keeping pace with those changes. You might want to upgrade your hearing aid if you want the sharpest sound or if you want to connect with you your smart-devices like your phone or TV.
- Changes to your hearing: If you’re an adult and you use a hearing aid, you’ve most likely decided on one of those very tiny, easy to conceal devices. That style of hearing aid can be really precisely fine-tuned and will have exactly the right amount of power you need. You may need to upgrade to a more powerful device if your hearing worsens.
- Proper care & maintenance: A hearing aid is similar to most other types of technology in a lot of ways so it should have a longer life if you take better care of it. So, keeping your hearing aid clean and doing regular maintenance according to the manufacturer’s advice is something you should always do.
- How frequently your hearing aids are used: The more often you wear your hearing aids, the sooner they will need to be replaced. But that isn’t always the case, modern hearing aids are intended to be used for long durations. Maybe, a better way to put it is that the more frequently you cycle power settings (turn the device on and off), the sooner you might need to get a new hearing aid.
How can you get longer life out of your hearing aid?
We have to acknowledge that hearing aids are really personal things. In most situations, they are tuned specifically for your hearing and will likely have custom molds. The investment is also substantial. So it’s a prevailing goal to get the most that you can out of your hearing aid.
And this is a very achievable goal. Taking good care of your hearing aids is the best thing you can do to be sure that your hearing aids last as long as possible. Try not to drop them or get them wet. And make sure you do all the required cleaning and maintenance.
You’ll usually be able to get a good five years out of your hearing aid. You may or may not get more than that. But eventually, you will have to decide. You will probably, inevitably, want some of the features that modern hearing aids offer. So, give us a call to schedule an appointment for a hearing test right away. We’ll help you figure out which hearing aid is best for you.
