Not medical advice, not a hearing test, not a diagnosis. Everything on this site is general information about devices and about the numbers used to describe
hearing. The charts explain what an audiogram shows. They cannot tell you what you have, and nothing
here is capable of measuring your hearing. Only a licensed audiologist or physician can evaluate hearing, and
only a real audiogram produces the thresholds these pages describe.
Some symptoms belong to a clinician today, not to a shopping list. Hearing loss that comes on suddenly, loss or a marked difference in only one ear, ear pain, drainage from
the ear, dizziness or vertigo, and ringing accompanied by weakness, numbness or facial changes are all reasons
to contact a doctor promptly rather than to buy a device. Sudden hearing loss in particular is treated as
urgent. No over the counter product is an answer to any of them.
An OTC hearing aid and a personal sound amplifier are not the same thing. Over the counter hearing aids are FDA regulated medical devices for adults 18 and over with perceived mild
to moderate hearing loss. A personal sound amplification product is consumer electronics, is not a medical
device, and is not intended to compensate for hearing loss at all. This site files them separately and says
which is which on every card. Over the counter devices are never for children, and they are not a substitute
for a professional evaluation.
Researched, not professional advice. HearingGearGuide publishes reference charts and buying guidance compiled from published standards, regulatory
classifications, manufacturer specifications and the consensus of verified owner reviews. We do not test
devices in person and we never claim to. We make no claim about how much any product will improve anyone's
hearing, because that is an outcome about a person rather than a property of a device. Where a manufacturer
does not publish a figure, we say so rather than printing an estimate.
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Prices and availability change often and are shown as a guide only. Affiliate disclosure.
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