User's Manual

36
FDA Information
The audiologist or hearing aid dispenser will conduct a hearing aid
evaluation to assess your ability to hear with and without a hearing aid.
The hearing aid evaluation will enable the audiologist or dispenser to
select and fit a hearing aid to 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 aid dispensers now offer programs that permit
you to wear a hearing aid for a period of time for a nominal fee after which
you may decide if you want to purchase the hearing aid.
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 such a waiver is not in your
best health interest and its use is strongly discouraged.
A hearing aid will not restore normal hearing and will not prevent or
improve a hearing impairment resulting from organic conditions. Use
of a hearing aid is only part of hearing habilitation and may need to be
supplemented by auditory training and instruction in lip reading. In most
cases infrequent use of a hearing aid does not permit a user to attain full
benefit from it. 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 in impairing the remaining hearing of the
hearing aid user.
CHILDREN WITH HEARING LOSS.
In addition to seeing a physician for a medical evaluation, a child with
a hearing loss should be directed to an audiologist for evaluation
and rehabilitation since hearing loss may cause problems in language
development and the educational and social growth of a child. An
audiologist is qualified by training and experience to assist in the
evaluation and rehabilitation of a child with a hearing loss.