The purpose of a medical evaluation is to assure that all medically
treatable conditions that may affect hearing are identified and
treated before hearing instruments are purchased.
Following the medical evaluation, the physician will give you
a written statement that your hearing loss has been medically
evaluated and that you may be considered a candidate for hearing
instruments.
The physician will refer you to an Hearing Care Professional, as
appropriate, for a hearing instrument evaluation.
The Hearing Care Professional will conduct a hearing instrument
evaluation to assess your ability to hear with and without hearing
instruments. The hearing instrument evaluation will enable the
Hearing Care Professional to select and fit hearing instruments for
your individual needs.
If you have reservations about your ability to adapt to
amplification, you should inquire about the availability of a
trial-rental or purchase-option program. Many Hearing Care
Professionals now offer programs that permit you to wear a
hearing instrument for a period of time for a nominal fee after
which you may decide if you want to purchase the hearing
instrument.
Only those fully informed adults who have either obtained
medical evaluation from a licensed physician or signed a waiver
statement declining the medical evaluation for religious or
personal beliefs that preclude consultation with a physician may
purchase hearing instruments. The exercise of such a waiver is not
in your best health interest and its use is strongly discouraged.
Warning to Hearing Care Professionals
A Hearing Care Professional should advise a prospective hearing
instrument user to consult promptly with a licensed physician
(preferably an ear specialist) before dispensing a hearing
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instrument if the Hearing Care Professional determines through
inquiry, actual observation, or review of any other available
information concerning the prospective user that the prospective
user has any of the following conditions:
• Visible congenital or traumatic deformity of the ear.
• Acute or chronic dizziness.
• History of active drainage from the ear within the previous
90 days.
• History of sudden or rapidly progressive hearing loss within
the previous 90 days.
• Unilateral hearing loss of sudden or recent onset within the
previous 90 days.
• Audiometric air-bone gap equal to or greater than 15 decibels
(dB) at 500 Hertz (Hz), 1000 Hz, and 2000 Hz.
• Visible evidence of significant cerumen accumulation or a
foreign body in the ear canal.
• Pain or discomfort in the ear.
Special care should be exercised in selecting and fitting a hearing
instrument whose maximum sound pressure level exceeds
132 decibels (dB), because there may be risk of impairing the
remaining hearing of the hearing instrument user.
A hearing instrument will not restore normal hearing and will not
prevent or improve a hearing impairment resulting from organic
conditions.
The use of hearing instruments is only part of hearing
rehabilitation and may need to be supplemented by auditory
training and instructions in lip reading. Consistent use of
amplification is recommended. In most cases, infrequent use of
hearing instruments does not permit the wearer to attain the full
benefit of amplification.
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