You’re ready to throw your hearing aids right in the bin because of the problems you’re having with them. They’re simply not working for you, and it’s frustrating because you still can’t hear what your grandkids are saying, watch TV without captions, or take a simple phone call. Your hearing aids were supposed to fix all that, and they didn’t. So you’re a little miffed.
Before you do anything drastic, you might want to consider that maybe hearing aids, in general, aren’t the problem. Maybe it’s your hearing aids.
Older hearing aids are not as effective
Okay, you admit your hearing aids may be the problem, but you’re not exactly sure how. Luckily, it’s pretty easy to explain. Hearing aids have incorporated an amazing number of technological advancements in the past few years. These advancements are integrated into new models each year.
If you’re wearing a pair of hearing aids that’s four years old – and you haven’t updated them in a while – you might be missing features that aren’t immediately obvious. Most older hearing aids look vaguely like their modern counterparts. They’re both designed to fit the shape of your ear and blend in with your skin tone. When comparing old and new models, however, it’s really what’s under the hood that counts.
What modern hearing aids offer
There’s a tendency to (incorrectly) believe that hearing aid technology is simple. After all, don’t these devices simply make sounds louder? How difficult can that be?
Hearing aids are designed to amplify specific sounds – but not necessarily all sounds. As a result, hearing aids are quite complex, and new technologies offer improved listening experiences for those suffering from hearing loss.
The following are examples:
Voice recognition AI
One of the most common hearing aid problems is they don’t handle noisy environments particularly well. A noisy refrigerator or ventilation system can drown out the voice of your grandchild, for example. But modern hearing aids are equipped with advanced machine learning algorithms that help isolate and amplify human voices.
In other words, modern hearing aids will help you hear other people more clearly, which will keep you engaged in conversions.
Bluetooth® synching
Having a phone conversation with outdated hearing aids can be frustrating – the feedback alone can make it a painful experience. But modern hearing aids are enabled with Bluetooth technology, so your phone can synch right to your hearing aid. This means you’ll be able to hear phone calls with crystal clarity.
The same holds true for other enabled devices – your TV, the music on your smartphone, Alexa or Siri, and so on. Bluetooth connectivity makes all these devices more accessible to those who wear modern hearing aids.
Noise cancellation
Not only are modern hearing aids able to pick up and amplify voices, but they also have the ability to quiet background noise. That’s because many modern hearing aids are equipped with noise-canceling technology. This helps minimize background noise, giving further clarity to the human voice – and helping your hearing aids perform better in challenging environments.
Design
Modern hearing aids look similar to older models in that they both conform to your ears. Both are also as small and discreet as possible. But here’s the real difference: modern hearing aids fit substantially more powerful technology into a much smaller package. The small and discreet hearing aids of today are significantly more capable than similarly-sized hearing aids from just five years ago.
Your old hearing aids might be frustrating because they are no longer powerful enough for your listening needs. The good news is modern hearing aids give you more power in the same discreet package. So, you don’t have to compensate functionality for design.
Protecting your hearing
Hearing aids are absolutely essential to protecting your hearing in the long-term. So if your hearing specialist suggests you should wear one, it’s a good idea to follow through on that recommendation. If you’re frustrated with your current hearing aid problems, it may be a good time to consider upgrading to a newer model.
The advanced technology in modern hearing aids may be just what you need to fall in love with your hearing aids all over again.
