People always ask their hearing care providers if they need new hearing aids. It’s a common question that hearing health professionals receive because patients are always seeking to improve their hearing and use the latest features to make their life more comfortable when using hearing aids. However, it’s important to understand that most hearing aids don’t need to be replaced unless there’s an issue with them.

To better understand when you should replace your hearing aids, consider the following questions before you approach your hearing specialist about seeking a replacement.

Is your hearing aid no longer providing enough amplification?

If you feel like your hearing aids are no longer working well, such as the volume being lower or finding it more difficult to distinguish sounds, then there could be a number of different problems causing it.

For instance, you might have accidentally changed some settings on the hearing aid, or it might be the hardware itself that is broken or malfunctioning. The issue might also be due to your hearing itself, or perhaps the settings need to be retuned for optimal amplification. It’s always a good idea to speak to your hearing care provider in a case like this so that they can help you distinguish between the possible causes.

Do you need new features to make using hearing aids more comfortable?

Manufacturers always add new features to their hearing aids, so if your hearing aids are a few years old then there might be a new and improved model that provides extra features. For example, if you’re starting to develop tinnitus and want to soothe the effects, then you may want a hearing aid that provides you with a sound generator. This can help you mask the effects of tinnitus without requiring another device or therapy.

There are also modern features such as adding wireless capabilities so you can listen to music and take calls, and some newer hearing aids have rechargeable batteries instead of disposable ones so that you don’t need to swap the batteries.

Has your lifestyle changed recently?

Some people change their hearing aids because their lifestyle has changed. For example, if you find that you’re using your hearing aids more often because of a change of job, then you may want to swap to a larger hearing aid such as a behind-the-ear one. These are larger in size, meaning they come with larger batteries that will last longer than smaller ones.

On the contrary, you might want smaller hearing aids because your large ones are no longer needed. Perhaps you use them less or maybe you want them to be smaller and more discreet instead of large and bulky. Changes in lifestyle are common and it’s important to change your hearing aids so that they suit your lifestyle.

These are a couple of common questions you should ask yourself before you decide to speak to your hearing health provider about changing your hearing aids for a newer model.