How long do hearing aids last?
Around five years is a useful planning point for regularly maintained hearing aids. It is not an expiration date. Whether to keep, repair or replace yours depends on their condition, how well you hear with them and the cost of continued care. Starkey describes an average lifespan of about five years with regular maintenance and professional checks.
This guide covers the device's useful life, rather than hours of battery charge. It helps you prepare for a conversation with your audiologist; it cannot diagnose a change in your hearing.
What affects hearing aid lifespan?
A device spends much of its day exposed to skin, moisture and earwax. Handling and storage matter too. Oticon describes a typical life of four years or more and recommends protecting hearing aids from impacts, water and extreme heat. Manufacturer guidance varies, so use your model's instructions. Read Oticon's care guidance.
Separate three questions when you assess an older pair:
- Device condition: Does it work reliably, and what has needed attention?
- Listening results: Which conversations or daily situations are still difficult?
- Ownership cost: What would a repair include, and what would a replacement include?
Writing these down gives your appointment a clear starting point. A birthday for your hearing aids, by itself, does not answer all three.
Should you keep, repair or replace your hearing aids?
Use this comparison to organize the discussion with your audiologist. It is a set of questions, not a replacement schedule.
A hearing evaluation can help distinguish your current hearing needs from a device issue. At Movac, we also repair and reprogram hearing aids fitted elsewhere. Call with your model and concern to discuss a visit.
Daily care and storage
Follow the cleaning and charging instructions supplied for your exact model. The NIDCD hearing aid guide recommends cleaning as instructed, avoiding heat and moisture, and keeping small devices and batteries away from children and pets.
- Choose a consistent, secure storage spot so your devices are easy to find.
- Handle them over a soft surface to reduce the risk of damage from a drop.
- Avoid leaving them in a hot car or handling them with sandy hands.
- Ask which drying method suits your model after moisture exposure. Never use a hair dryer or microwave to dry a hearing aid.
The handling, heat and drying precautions above follow Oticon's care recommendations. Have your audiologist demonstrate any maintenance step you are unsure about.
Bring this checklist to your next appointment
Bring your hearing aids, charger or batteries, any previous hearing test results and your insurance card. Note the model, approximate purchase date and when problems happen. For example: “The left device becomes quiet during afternoon conversations.”
- Can you check both my hearing and the devices before we discuss replacement?
- What would a repair or adjustment change, and what would it cost?
- What warranty or service coverage applies to each option?
- Which of my everyday listening difficulties would a different device address?
- What follow-up, trial terms and out-of-pocket costs should I compare?
Warranty, service and total-cost questions are also covered in NIDCD's hearing aid buying guidance. Ask us to check your insurance benefits for your specific plan before making a purchase decision.
Discuss your hearing aids with an audiologist
Dr. Viviana Martinez sees patients in Weston, FL, with English and Spanish care and evening and Saturday appointments. Our office is at 2813 Executive Park Dr, Suite 102, Weston, FL 33331.
Book a Hearing Aid Consultation
Prefer to talk first? Call (754) 290-3270. Phones answered all day.