By Yishane Lee

We are busy wrapping up the Fall issue of Hearing Health magazine, which will be available in October in print and online. Be sure to subscribe for your free copy, and check back here for links to the digital edition.

One of my favorite stories in the Fall issue is “8 Signs You May Need a New Hearing Aid.” I am completely guilty of using technology way past its usefulness (my radio is circa 1970, and the fellow at the bicycle shop wouldn’t let me leave on my bike using a helmet from the ’90s), but you shouldn’t make this mistake when it comes to your hearing health.

Staff writer and audiologist Barbara Jenkins, Au.D., writes that the average lifespan of a hearing aid is five to seven years. While older hearing aids may work fine, if they need repair, with every year it will become harder to find the right parts.

What’s more, holding onto your hearing aids because of economic reasons may not make financial sense, and may even be doing you a disservice. As Jenkins writes:

“Like other technology, hearing aid technology is rapidly advancing while also becoming less expensive. You can purchase a lower-priced hearing aid today with a wider frequency response and better fidelity than even a premium-level hearing aid bought just a year ago."

Look for Jenkins’s informative article in the Fall issue of Hearing Health outlining the reasons—some you may not have thought of—to consider a new hearing aid. You just may recognize yourself or your situation.