Should You Repair or Replace Your Hearing Aids?

In an ideal world, hearing aids would last our whole lives, saving us from ever having to worry about repair, replacement, or anything else. However, in reality, even high-end hearing aids only last for an average of three to seven years.

Luckily, a quality audiologist will never simply fit your hearing aids and send you on your way. Rather, they’ll focus on ongoing hearing health with regular hearing tests and, even more importantly, repairs or replacements on hearing aids that encounter issues.

The trouble is that, for many of us, the question of whether to repair or replace is a complex one. To help you reach a solution, it’s always worth answering the following questions.

How old are your hearing aids?

While you can typically stretch a well-maintained hearing aid to around the seven-year mark, it’s doubtful that you’ll get beyond that, especially if you use your hearing aid every day. In this instance, replacements become problematic for a range of reasons. For one thing, they’re unlikely to have any lasting impact if your hearing aid itself has started to degrade or suffer from permanent damage. Even if that isn’t the case, older hearing aids are increasingly difficult to source parts for, meaning that repair may be either impossible or more expensive than an entire replacement would be. 

Do your hearing aids use the latest tech?

Like everything in the medical sphere, our understanding of hearing challenges and treatments is changing all the time, meaning that hearing aid technology tends to advance at a very rapid rate. Far from the bulky behind ear hearing aids of yesteryear, it’s now possible to get discreet in-ear options, some of which come complete with Bluetooth functions, rechargeable batteries, and improved protection against background noises like wind disturbance. It’s even possible to buy hearing aids with options like white noise to help with tinnitus treatment!

With this in mind, it’s quite possible that continuing to repair an older model will prevent you from enjoying the full capabilities on offer from modern hearing aids. Before you embark on repair, it’s always worth scanning the market and making sure that your model is still top of the line, or considering a replacement if not. 

Do your hearing aids break often?

One or two repairs during a hearing aid’s life are to be expected, especially in cases of heavy usage. In these rare cases, repairs are typically more than worthwhile, especially if you’re happy with overall hearing aid performance. However, in some instances, ongoing deterioration or manufacturing issues can lead to far more regular repairs than you might expect. While each individual visit to your audiologist is likely less expensive than a complete replacement would be, this can soon work out as way more expensive in the long run. Not to mention that if your hearing aid is often breaking, repairs are never going to quite fix the problem at the root. Only a new hearing aid will be able to do that.

Are you happy with your current hearing aids?

In some cases, especially where age is concerned, replacements can be necessary regardless of how you feel about your existing hearing aids. However, in most instances, the decision surrounding whether repair or replacement is best can be greatly simplified by considering how well you get along with the hearing aids that you have right now. 

If you don’t much like the feel or experience of a hearing aid, for instance, then breakage can be a fantastic push to invest in something else. Equally, if you love how your hearing aids work for you, then even newer tech on the market isn’t worth replacement over repair. Before you jump into anything, think long and hard about how well your current hearing aids serve and whether or not you’d be able to improve on that with another model.

How The Hearing Aid Clinic at Woodlake can help

Whether you want to repair or replace your hearing aids, or whether you aren’t certain either way, our friendly team here at The Hearing Aid Clinic at Woodlake is here to help. We understand well how difficult this decision can be, which is why we’re on hand with expert advice that you can rely on. 

From the very start of your hearing aid journey, we’ll work to know your hearing requirements and preferences so that we can offer repairs and replacements with your hearing health in mind at all times. Enjoy this benefit and more by contacting us at (612) 246-4868 today.