Hearing aids typically last about five years.

The miniature components in hearing aids tend to wear out over time, and even when repaired, do not have the same integrity as new components. That being said, we have definitely seen our fair share of people with ten year old or older hearing aids. Whereas these hearing aids may still produce amplification, verification tools such as a hearing aid analyzer or probe microphone Real Ear almost always shows inadequate amplification for the wearers needs.

Although hearing aids are fragile miniature electronic devices, they are exposed to humidity, perspiration, earwax – and sometimes rain, hairspray and other factors – that aren’t ideal for a tiny medical device. Use of special hearing aid dehumidifiers, which help remove moisture from the hearing aids when not in use, has been shown to prolong the life of hearing aids. These devices can be obtained from your hearing care provider and are normally very cost effective. Additionally, having your hearing aids cleaned regularly will help to prolong their life.

In many cases, hearing loss tends to gradually worsen over time. Therefore, new hearing aids may be required to fit your hearing loss as it changes. While today’s digital hearing aids can be re-programmed in many cases to accommodate changes in hearing, some people choose to purchase new hearing aids in order to benefit from new features that come with advancements in hearing aid technology. Most major manufacturers come out with new products about every year and after about five years there are usually enough advances in technology to significantly benefit the wearer over their previous set of hearing aids.

-Content provided by Healthy Hearing –