Common Questions about Hearing Aids

Commonly Asked Questions about Hearing Aids

Q: What is the cost for hearing aids?

A: This depends on the technology level and included services. There is a wide variation in hearing aid technology. Not every patient required the most advanced hearing aids, and not every patient is well-served with less expensive hearing aids. The more active the person, the more likely he or she may see increased value in more expensive technology. A decision as to what hearing aids are most appropriate for you is determined based on your needs and lifestyle. We currently offer five price tiers of hearing aid technology.

Q: How long do hearing aids last?

A: We advise our patients to expect about five years out of their hearing aids. Hearing aids can still be repaired after the five-year mark, but the parts become less available. Newer technology becomes available every few years. Some wearers want to replace their hearing aids sooner than five years, and others choose to wear their hearing aids for longer.

Q: How many years of service are there, and how many office visits are included with the hearing aids?

A: For most packages, we offer cleaning and hearing aid checks for the lifetime of the hearing aids at no charge, and we do not limit office visits.

Q: What is the warranty for hearing aids?

A: We offer a three-year warranty for the hearing aids. If any parts need to be replaced or if the hearing aids need to be sent to the manufacturer for service, there is no additional cost so long as the hearing aids are within warranty.

Q: Which manufacturers do we work with?

A: We work with many of the major hearing aid manufacturers. We most often work with GN Resound and Widex, but also work with Phonak, Oticon, Signia, Unitron and others when necessary.

Q: How can I communicate with my provider when I have a problem?

A: We offer communication via phone and email. Patients are welcome to contact us during off-hours via email so that questions can be answered and addressed when office hours are not in session. For certain hearing aids, we now offer the ability to make adjustments remotely via smartphone so that patients will not have to come to the office if they are experiencing difficulty with sound quality.

Contact us for more information about our hearing aid services!

Links between Hearing loss and Dementia/Cognitive Decline

A common question we hear at our office visits is whether there is a relationship between having hearing loss and developing dementia or other forms of cognitive decline. What exactly is this relationship? Does having hearing loss cause dementia?

Hearing loss does not necessarily cause dementia, but it does have a correlation. When one acquires hearing loss and does not seek management for it, the auditory nerve receives less information about incoming sound to send up to the brain. This, in turn, leads to a term called auditory deprivation, in which the brain becomes deprived of receiving adequate sound stimulation. If one goes a long time without managing the hearing loss, then the brain continues to be deprived of sound, and once one does decide to manage the hearing loss with hearing aids, the brain is less likely to know how to process that sound it had been missing for so long.

How does this connect to cognitive decline?

Individuals who choose not to manage their hearing loss may feel they do not receive benefit from being social if they cannot hear, or may feel embarrassed having to ask for repetition from others constantly. This ultimately leads to them withdrawing from activities that contribute to brain stimulation. Without participating in daily life activities, the brain receives less sound and less overall stimulation to keep it actively working. This can then be manifested in the form of cognitive decline.

For anyone who either suspects they have hearing loss or has been recently diagnosed with hearing loss, it is important to consider ways to manage it in order to keep your brains active and receiving as much stimulation as it can.

Contact us to learn more information about management of your hearing loss!

Music, Musicians and Loud Noise Exposure and Hearing Loss

One common cause of hearing loss is exposure to loud noise. While it is assumed that noise exposure is largely attributed to power tools, vehicles or military machinery, listening to music at loud levels can result in decreased hearing ability as well. Stage musicians also risk noise induced hearing loss if they are not properly protected during their performances.

Listening to excessive levels of music for extended periods of time can harm hair cells in the inner ear and lead to permanent hearing loss. This can most commonly occur at concerts, but can also be a result of listening to music using earphones or speakers at very loud volumes. The longer one is exposed to loud noise, the greater the likelihood of developing hearing loss.

The good news is that with proper hearing protection, you can still enjoy attending concerts and other live music events without running the risk of developing hearing loss. Hearing Protective Devices (HPDs) are custom made earplugs that allow for you to comfortably listen to music while filtering out excessive levels of noise.

Whether you are a professional musician or someone who enjoys going to loud concerts, visit us to determine what type of Hearing Protective Device is right for you!

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We have expanded the services we are offering!

We are proud to announce that we will be offering additional testing in our electrophysiology lab in our Somerset office! Auditory Brainstem Response Testing (ABR) and Videonystamography testing (VNG) are now being offered at The Hearing Center. Offering of these services was paused during the pandemic, and we are now able to offer them again!

Auditory Brainstem Response testing is an objective measure to evaluate an individual’s hearing ability. It requires no participation from the patient and serves multiple purposes:-ABR testing is one method of performing newborn hearing screenings-Individuals who are unable to participate in traditional behavioral testing can have their hearing tested via ABR-ABR testing may be conducted if there is an asymmetry, or difference in hearing, between the two ears

Videonystagmography is a test battery that assesses the vestibular, or balance, system. Our eyes, ears and brain all work together to contribute to our balance. Certain balance disorders have the potential to be related to the inner-ear. VNG testing consists of a series of measures that evaluate the individual's ability to respond to incoming information to the inner ear and vestibular system. In order to record the patient's eye movements, he or she wears goggles that utilize infrared cameras. VNG testing can also be used to determine the functionality of each ear's vestibular system in isolation.

If you are interested or in need of ABR or VNG testing, please contact us to schedule an appointment!

Welcome Dr. Do

We are very excited to have Dr. Tran Do join our team as our newest Audiologist. Many of our patients have gotten to know her as she spent her 4th year clinical externship at The Hearing Center with Dr. Sandler. She looks forward to bringing her experience with Cochlear implants and hearing aids to our practice. She is skilled in working with both adult and pediatric patients. Please contact our office to set up your appointment with Dr. Do in Manalapan or Somerset.

Dr. Do Joins The Hearing Center

The Hearing Center Is Re-Opening!

At The Hearing Center, we are gearing up to reopen our offices to our patients. We have taken this time as an opportunity to adapt our practice to the current environment. While we look forward to seeing everyone’s faces in person, we are going to ask all of our patients to join our doctors and staff in wearing masks for our in-person encounters. We thank you for your trust and look forward to exceeding your expectations!

Here is some of what we have been up to! 

• We have been in local media educating the public on the challenges people with hearing loss will face in this new normal of a mask-wearing society. 

• We have been sourcing PPE which will allow us to provide the safe environment that our patients, doctors, and staff will expect.

• We have continued to service our patients and other facilities patients’ hearing aids. What this has meant is drop-off clean and check services, drop-off repair service, and cloud-based hearing aid adjustments. These are services that we will continue to offer and expand even as our offices open again. 

• We have taken the opportunity to offer our patients video chats and tele-health appointments. This will also be a part of our practice going forward.  We will be able to set up consultation appointments via video chat. 

• We have continued to be responsive to our patients needs via email and phone. 

• We have reinforced our infection control protocols to assure a save environment for our patients and staff. 

• We have converted all of our offices to fully electronic medical records.

• We have been working on designing a see-through mask solution to assist with lip reading and visual cues.

At The Hearing Center, our goal is to provide the very best in hearing healthcare in a safe and comfortable environment. We look forward to welcoming you back to our practices soon!

Covid-19 Guidelines for The Hearing Center

Our practice takes the health of our patients and staff very seriously.  For this reason, we have implemented changes to allow for a safe reopening of our offices.  We have been able to procure enough PPE and have created procedures that we believe will allow for a safe reopening.  We have added additional infection control procedures in between each appointment.   If you are experiencing any symptoms of Covid-19, please contact your primary contact physician.  The Hearing Center does NOT offer Covid-19 testing. 

Here is Guidance from the CDC on Staying Healthy:

• Wash your hands thoroughly and use alcohol-based hand sanitizers.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.

• Stay home when you’re sick and encourage family to do the same.

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

• Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue, throw the tissue in the trash and immediately wash your hands. No tissue? Cough or sneeze into your elbow, not your hands.

• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces

Patient Appointments:

• We will be offering our first appointments of the day to those in vulnerable populations

• All patients will be asked Covid-19 screening questions

• Patients will be required to respond to specific survey questions prior to their appointment

• All patients and guests will be required to wear masks and sanitize their hands while in our offices.  If you do not have a mask, we will have new, reusable fabric masks available for purchase. 

• All patients will be asked to wait in their cars and call our office when they arrive.  We will advise you when to come into the office.  The goal is to responsibly social distance. ***Please advise us ahead of time if you do not have a cellphone for further instruction***

• All patient forms will be available on line at our website.  We ask patients to complete these forms ahead of their appointments and email them to us

• We ask that only the patient enters the office suite.  1 parent or care-taker will be allowed into the office during the appointment.

The Hearing Center Manalapan Is Partnering With Apple!

The Hearing Center in Manalapan, NJ is very excited to announce that we will be partnering with Apple!

On Wednesday December 18, 9:00 am, at the Apple store in the Freehold mall, the Creative Pro team will be working with us, and offering a special class. This class is directed toward our patients with ‘Made for iPhone’ (Mfi) hearing aids.

At The Hearing Center we always strive to provide our patients with the best possible outcomes in their hearing healthcare. 

We lead such connected lives these days, and we want to make sure our patients make the most of the ‘Made for iPhone’ features of their hearing  aids. At the same time, iPhones have features specifically designed for those with hearing impairment.

We want to make sure our patients are maximizing the benefits of these advanced features. 

We look forward to seeing you at this very special event!

The Hearing Center Is Partnering With Cochlear To Help People Hear For The First Time

The Hearing Center has been a pioneering private practice, offering Cochlear Implants in our New Jersey offices. These implants can have dramatic improvements in hearing, and are often used to help people hear for the very first time!