Shopping for hearing aids may appear to be simple but most of the time there are problems which can befall a consumer especially if he is not that familiar with how to shop for these devices and so the government is moving towards the eliminations of such obstacles. As requested by the Federal Trade Commission the dealers of hearing aids should give their buyers a 30 day money back trial period, and this is not only because of the half a million units of hearing aids being sold every year but also because of the 14 1/2 million Americans who suffer from hearing problems.
As mentioned by the president of the greater Philadelphia hearing aid guild, 60 percent of the hearing aid market is made entirely out of senior citizens. The market for hearing aids also includes 12 to 13 percent for children and the rest of the hearing aids sold to those aged 18 to 65. In purchasing a hearing aid you should first go to a doctor. From an examination done within the last six months to the possession of a prescription saying that you are in need of a device, the new Food and Drug Administration rule will run these strict guidelines before you can purchase a hearing aid.
People aged 18 and above can choose not to go for an evaluation, but they will be required to sign a statement that states that an examination was advised for them to take. An FDA spokesman, said the evaluation is necessary because hearing loss is only a symptom of disease. Drugs, surgery, and diet change can all affect the condition. A doctor will try to treat the loss but if impossible will resort to an audiologist for further testing or may refer you to a hearing aid dispenser.
With 41 states applying licensing laws to regulate hearing aid sales these rules still exist without providing quality outcomes. Being successful when using a hearing aid depends on how willing a person is to learn from the experience and how extreme his expectations are for the results. Professionals have no way of saying if a hearing aid will become beneficial to any person in particular.
It is not dangerous to make use of a hearing aid. There is really no danger to residual hearing except in very, very remote instances. Associated with the problems when it comes to hearing loss is people neglecting to visit their doctors before getting a hearing aid and so they purchase the device without knowing if their condition could be treated medically or not.
As you go look for hearing aids, be sure to compare the products you see. You can give them a call to inquire about how much everything will cost including a year of service. Warranties should be provided for any product. Two years is the extent of most warranties provided by the manufacturers for their hearing aids wherein you can forward any problem you may have when it comes to factory defects and breakdowns. You can rest assured that the dealer will deal with the packaging, shipping, repairs, as well as the retrieval of your hearing aid when you experience any problems.
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