Additional Information
If you have difficulty hearing, you are not alone. Millions of people in this country
share your problem. Many people who experience hearing problems can be treated
medically, surgically, or most commonly, through amplification. Your hearing is vital
for your physical and psychological well being. Without it, everyday communication
may become a frustrating and sometimes exhausting task. Hearing instruments will
not restore your hearing to normal; however, when fitted properly and used regularly,
they will improve your communication ability. Your hearing instruments may only be
a part of your hearing rehabilitation. You may also need auditory training and
instruction in lip reading. For further information, contact America Hears.
Hearing loss falls into two basic categories - conductive and sensorineural. When
the structures in the outer and middle ear do not work properly, their ability to
"conduct" sound vibrations to the inner ear is affected. Ear canal obstructions, such
as wax occlusion, eardrum abnormalities, or conditions where the ossicles, tiny
bones of the middle ear, become immobilized, are causes of conductive hearing loss.
Sensorineural hearing loss or "nerve deafness" is when the inner ear does not
properly process sound vibrations, thereby disrupting the message being passed on
to the brain. Excessive noise exposure, ototoxic medications, aging, or genetics are
known to be some of the reasons leading to or causing sensorineural hearing loss
and typically cause a frustrating inability to hear speech clearly.
Good health practice requires that persons with hearing loss have a medical
evaluation by a licensed physician, preferably one who specializes in diseases of the
ear, before purchasing hearing instruments. The purpose of this medical evaluation
is to assure that all medically treatable conditions are identified and properly cared for
prior to the purchase of a hearing instrument. Following this medical evaluation, your
physician will provide you with a written statement that your hearing loss has been
medically evaluated and that you may be considered a candidate for hearing
instruments.
Federal law restricts the sale of hearing instruments to those individuals who have
obtained a medical evaluation from a licensed physician. Federal law permits a fully
informed adult to sign a waiver statement declining the medical evaluation for
religious or personal beliefs that preclude consultation with a physician. The exercise
of this waiver is not in your best health interest and is strongly discouraged.
Once a medical evaluation is completed, your physician will refer you to a hearing
care professional for a full hearing evaluation. This evaluation will assess your ability
to hear with and without hearing instruments. (This assessment will enable America
Hears to select and fit hearing instruments designed to meet your specific hearing
needs.)
Children with hearing loss, in addition to seeing a physician for a medical evaluation,
should be directed to an audiologist for evaluation and habilitation since hearing loss
may cause problems for the child in language development and educational and
social growth. An audiologist is qualified, by training, to assist in the evaluation and
habilitation of a child with a hearing loss.