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About Start up Handling Options
Warnings
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Warning to hearing instrument
dispensers
A hearing instrument dispenser
should advise a prospective hearing
instrument user to consult imme-
diately with a licensed physician
(preferably an ear specialist) before
dispensing a hearing instrument if
the hearing instrument dispenser
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 condi-
tions:
(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 previ-
ous 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
instrument whose maximum sound
pressure capability exceeds 132 dB
SPL as there may be risk of impairing
the remaining hearing of the hearing
instrument user.
Important notice for prospective
hearing instrument users
• Good health practice requires that
a person with a hearing loss have
a medical evaluation by a licensed
physician (preferably a physician
who specializes in diseases of the
ear) before purchasing a hearing
instrument. Licensed physicians
who specialize in diseases of the
ear are often referred to as Otolar-
yngologists, Otologists or Otorhi-
nolaryngologists. The purpose of
medical evaluation is to ensure that
all medically treatable conditions
that may affect hearing are identi-
fied and treated before the hearing
instrument is purchased. Following
the medical evaluation, the physi-
cian will give you a written state-
ment that states that your hearing
loss has been medically evaluated
and that you may be considered a
candidate for a hearing instrument.
The physician will refer you to an
audiologist or a hearing instrument
dispenser, as appropriate, for a
hearing instrument evaluation.