September 2020

warranty

Hearing Aid Warranties

Hearing Aid Warranties: What are they and how do they help you Hearing aids like other large purchases or investments we buy have manufacturer warranties. These warranties cover your hearing aids for a period of time and cover a variety of repairs to ensure your hearing aids continue to perform well. Let's take a look at the type of warranties available to you... Repair and Remake Warranties These kinds of warranties are an agreement between you and the hearing aid manufacturer. This agreement lasts anywhere from 2-4 years and will account for broken parts, malfunction, and other repairs that we can't do in-house. While you're in-warranty these repairs have no cost to you from the manufacturer. You can find this information on your original invoice of sale or ask your hearing health care provider. Out of warranty, most manufacturers have a fixed price for a repair. This can cost anywhere from $100 to $500. The manufacturer cost depends on the age of the hearing aid and whether you choose a 6 or 12 month extended warranty. After 5-6 years, manufacturers deem hearing aids un-repairable as they may not carry parts anymore for older styles. After your warranty expires you can insure your hearing aids through a 3rd party, such as your home insurance in case of loss or damage. Lost and Damaged Insurance This insurance provided by the manufacturer is valid for 1-2 years after purchase. In that time, if you lose a hearing aid or damage it beyond repair (i.g....

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brain waves

Hearing with our Brain

Hearing with our Brain: The Link Between Hearing Loss and Cognition Did you know, hearing happens with our brains, not our ears! It’s true! Although it is the ears take in the noise around us, it’s our brain that makes sense of it and tells us it’s sound. As our ears take in noise it moves through the outer, middle, and inner ear. This noise converts into electrical signals in the auditory nerve. After it is converted, the signal travels to our brain where it is interpreted as sound. This complicated process happens within milliseconds; amazing! Hearing loss is often the result of damage somewhere in the ear or the auditory nerve. When auditory signals either can’t reach the brain or are too weak to pick up, the brain begins to forget these sounds. This is one reason why it may take a few weeks to get used to wearing new hearing aids. You are essentially re-teaching your brain to recognize those sounds again. Hearing Loss and Cognition In older adults, the parts of the brain that are inactive begin to lose their ability or forget how to function. Several studies from Johns Hopkins University¹ found that hearing loss and accelerated cognitive decline are connected. This is due to areas of the brain experiencing decreased activation from the ears. This increases the cognitive load (energy needed to perform a task) on other parts of the brain. Although hearing loss is only one factor, the connection suggests that hearing loss can increase...

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