n o t i c e t o
p r o s p e c t i v e u s e r s
n o t i c e f o r h e a r i n g
h e a l t h c a r e p r o v i d e r s
Good health practice requires that a person with a
hearing loss have a medical exam by a licensed
physician, who specializes in diseases of the ear,
before purchasing a hearing instrument.
Licensed physicians who specialize in the diseases of
the ear are often referred to as Otologists,
Otolaryngologists (ear, nose and throat - ENT) or
Otorhinolaryngologists.
The purpose of a medical evaluation is to assure that
all medically treatable conditions that may affect
hearing are identified and treated before the hearing
instrument is 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 a hearing instrument.
A hearing specialist will conduct an evaluation to
assess your ability to hear. The hearing instrument
evaluation will enable the hearing specialist to select
and fit a hearing instrument to your individual
needs. Federal law restricts the sale of hearing
instruments to those individuals who have obtained
a medical evaluation from a licensed physician.
Federal law allows 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 such
a waiver is not in your best interest, and its use is
strongly discouraged.
Hearing healthcare providers should advise a
prospective hearing instrument user to consult
promptly with a licensed physician (preferably an
ear specialist) before dispensing a hearing
instrument if the hearing healthcare provider
determines through inquiry, actual observation, or
review of any other available information, that the
prospective user has any of the following
conditions:
• Visible congenital or traumatic deformity of
the ear.
• 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.
• Acute or chronic dizziness.
• Unilateral hearing loss of sudden or recent
onset within the previous 90 days.
• Audiometric air-bone gap greater than or equal
to 15 decibels at 500 Hertz (Hz), 1000 Hz,
and 2000 Hz.
• Visible evidence of significant cerumen (wax)
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 which has a
maximum sound pressure level in excess of 132
dB (decibels) because there may be a risk of
damaging the remaining hearing of the hearing
instrument user.
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