(i) Visible congenital or traumatic deformity of the ear.
(ii) History of active drainage from the ear within the previous 90 days.
(iii) History of sudden or rapidly progressive hearing loss within the previous
90 days.
(iv) Acute or chronic dizziness.
(v) Unilateral hearing loss of sudden or recent onset within the previous 90
days.
(vi) Audiometric air-bone gap equal to or greater than 15 decibels at 500
hertz (Hz), 1,000 Hz, and 2,000 Hz.
(vii) Visible evidence of significant cerumen accumulation or a foreign body
in the ear canal.
(viii) Pain or discomfort in the ear.
Special care should be exercised in selecting and fitting a hearing aid whose
maximum sound pressure level exceeds 132 decibels because there may be
risk of impairing the remaining hearing of the hearing aid user.
Important notice for prospective hearing aid users
Good health practice requires that a person with a hearing loss have a medi-
cal evaluation by a licensed physician (preferably a physician who special-
izes in diseases of the ear) before purchasing a hearing aid. Licensed physi-
cians who specialize in diseases of the ear are often referred to as otolar-
yngologists, otologists, or otorhinolaryngologists. The purpose of medical
evaluation is to assure that all medically treatable conditions that may affect
hearing are identified and treated before the hearing aid is purchased.
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