User's Manual

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Licensed physicians who specialize in diseases of the ear
are often referred to as otolaryngologists, 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. Following the medical evaluation, the physician will
give you a written statement that states that your hearing loss
has been medically evaluated and that you may be considered
a candidate for a hearing aid. The physician will refer you to an
audiologist or a hearing aid dispenser, as appropriate, for a hearing
aid evaluation. 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 aids 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.
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.
Cell phone
Some hearing aid users have reported a buzzing sound in their
hearing aids when they are using cell phones, indicating that the
cell phone and hearing aid may not be compatible. According to
the ANSI C63.19 standard (ANSI C63.19-2011 American National
Standard Methods of Measurement of Compatibility Between
Wireless Communications Devices and Hearing Aids), the
compatibility of a particular hearing aid and cell phone can be
predicted by adding the rating for the hearing aid immunity to the
rating for the cell phone emissions. For example, the sum of the
hearing aid rating of 2 (M2) and a telephone rating of 3 (M3) would
result in a combined rating of 5. Any combined rating that equals
at least 5 would provide “normal use”; a combined rating of 6 or
greater would indicate “excellent performance.”
The immunity of this hearing aid is at least M2/T2. The equipment
performance measurements, categories and system classifications
are based upon the best information available but cannot
guarantee that all users will be satisfied.
Note: The performance of the individual hearing aids may
vary with individual cell phones. Therefore, please try this
hearing aid with your cell phone or, if you are purchasing a
new phone, please be sure to try it with your hearing aid prior
to purchase. For additional guidance, please ask your hearing
healthcare professional for the booklet entitled “Hearing aid
compatibility with digital wireless cell phones.”