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Hearing aids allow those that are hearing impaired to be able to hear with minimal distortion by amplifying noises in the background. However, hearing aids will eventually break down and need to be replaced.
Weaning defective or obsolete hearing aids may impact the quality of your hearing as well as your overall quality of life. How frequently you clean your hearing aids, as well as the materials with which they are made, may also impact how long they last.
How Long Can Hearing Aids Last?
The life expectancy of hearing aids is finite. You can expect a typical hearing aid to last between 3 to 7 years. How long they will last will depend on a multitude of factors.
Factors Impacting How Long Hearing Aids Will Last
The materials used will have an impact. Most of the aids made today are made with a protective nano-coating that will help prevent moisture, dust, and water accumulation. Still, they are not indestructible, so you should be careful with them to prevent impacts and shock.
How frequently you clean them also matters. You should clean your hearing aids every day, according to the instructions outlined by your healthcare specialist. You should also bring them to your hearing clinic every three months to get them cleaned professionally.
How they are stored will also affect their lifespan. Storing them in a case with a dehumidifier will help keep them dry, which will boost their longevity. If your aids utilise disposable batteries, you should store them with the battery door open to protect them.
Even the style will determine how long they will last. For example, behind-the-ear hearing aids tend to last longer than in-the-ear aids: This is because in-the-ear aids place many delicate components near the damp environment of your ear canals.
Your physiology may also have an influence. For example, if you have naturally oily skin or sweat profusely, then the lifespan of your hearing aids may be reduced. Those who produce large amounts of earwax may also cause their aids to degrade and discolour quickly.
Finally, maintenance frequency will also determine how long your hearing aids last. Microphone covers, battery doors, external speakers, and earmolds will need to be maintained, repaired, or replaced by your hearing clinic at some point.
Common Side Effects of Wearing Old Hearing Aids
Wearing old hearing aids may be very uncomfortable. You may notice that your ears have become itchy, irritated, and red. Some people may also experience headaches and fatigue.
The ear moulds of your hearing aids must be properly fitted. If your hearing aids are not properly fitted, they may leave sizable gaps between the skin and the hearing aid’s surface.
Large amounts of moisture will begin to accumulate if left untreated, which can cause your ears to become itchy and damp.
Some hearing aids may cause the user to hear their own voice. They may also start hearing strange background noises and eerie echoes. The good news is most modern hearing aids have the latest technology integrated into them to eliminate many such issues.
Still, as mentioned, even the latest and greatest hearing aids will eventually break down and will need to be replaced.
One quick tip to help protect your ears is not being too clean with them. Excessive cleaning will cause the destruction of valuable natural oils in your ear canal.
The natural oils in your ear canal are designed to protect your ears from irritants, including your hearing aids.
As such, try and avoid the temptation to clean your ears every day. Instead, allow for a few days to pass between cleanings to let your ears recover fully. You can also prevent itchy ears by adding a few drops of olive oil to your ears a few times a week.
If nothing seems to work, an audiologist can perform a quick and comprehensive hearing test to determine the extent of your hearing loss and which type of hearing aid will work best for your condition.
Protect Your Ears
The latest hearing aids on the market are truly state of the art. They avoid many of the pitfalls and shortcomings of their antiquated predecessors to optimise the user’s hearing experience and help improve their overall quality of life.
Sound quality is optimised, and the hearing aids can be configured to meet the hard-of-hearing patient’s needs. Outdated hearing aids will degrade and discolour sooner than the newest models and provide an inferior hearing experience.
Sources:
How long do hearing aids last? The life expectancy of hearing aid (healthyhearing.com)
Side Effects of Hearing Aids, Are there Any | Blog | Echo Audiology
Hearing Aids Causing Itchy Ears? Treatments & Remedies | Miracle-Ear
