The U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has rules to make sure that treatments for hearing loss--medicines, hearing aids, and other medical devices--are safe and really work.

For most people who have a hearing loss, there are ways to fix the problem.

Hearing Tests and Treatments
To find out what kind of hearing loss you have and whether all the parts of your ear are working OK, your doctor may want you to take a hearing test. These tests are often given by a health-care professional that specializes in hearing, such as an audiologist. Audiologists are usually not medical doctors but are trained to give hearing tests and interpret the results. Hearing tests are painless.
Have Your Hearing Tested

You should have your hearing tested by a licensed hearing health specialist before you buy a hearing aid.

If the hearing test shows that you have a hearing loss, there may be one or more ways to treat it. Possible treatments include medication, surgery or a hearing aid. Not everyone with a hearing problem can be helped by a hearing aid.
Hearing aids can usually help hearing loss that involves damage to the inner ear. This type of hearing loss is common in older people as part of the aging process. But younger people can also have it from infections or repeated exposure to loud noises.

Hearing Aids and Cell Phones
Cell phones and hearing aids don't work very well together, so you may not be able to use a cell phone while you're wearing a hearing aid. This is because electromagnetic interference between the phone and the hearing aid causes buzzing or static. Scientists are trying to find out more about this problem and what can be done about it.

Types of Hearing Aids
All hearing aids have these parts:

a microphone, to pick up sound
an amplifier, to make sound louder
a speaker, to bring sound to the ear
a battery.
Some people only need a hearing aid for one ear. Other people need one for each ear. If you need a hearing aid, your doctor will know whether you need one or two.

Here are some of the most common types of hearing aids:

Behind-the-Ear: This kind of hearing aid fits behind the ear and carries sound to the ear through a custom ear mold. Hearing aids that are attached to eyeglasses are a type of behind-the-ear hearing aid. They are useful for mild to severe hearing loss.

In-the-Ear: These are custom-made to fit in the outer ear. You can't see any wires because they are inside the aid. They are useful for mild to moderate hearing loss.

In-the-Ear-Canal: This kind of hearing aid is custom-made to fit in the ear canal. There are no outside wires or tubes. These hearing aids are almost impossible to see. They help people with all but the worst hearing loss.

On-the-Body: These are for very bad hearing loss. They include a case with a larger microphone, amplifier and battery. The case can be carried in pockets or attached to clothing. The case is connected by a wire to an ear receiver that is attached to an ear mold.

Cochlear Implants
You may have heard about a device to help hearing that is implanted behind the ear during surgery. This device is called a cochlear (pronounced COKE-lee-ur) implant. It is only used for very bad hearing loss. It gets its name from the medical term for the inner earÑ the cochlea. A cochlear implant doesn't completely restore hearing but it helps a person hear sounds and conversations better. The device has several parts:

An electronic device placed in the bone of the skull, behind the outer ear.
Wires and electrodes inserted into the inner ear, or cochlea.
A microphone and transmitter that are worn outside the body.
If your hearing is very bad, your doctor could decide if a cochlear implant could help you.

Buyer Beware
You may see ads that say that you can buy a hearing aid without being examined. This is true--it's up to you. But if you decide you don't want a medical exam to rule out a medical reason for the hearing loss, you will have to sign a written statement called a waiver. The waiver says that the company or person selling the hearing aid has told you that FDA has determined that it is in your best health interest to have a medical examination by a licensed physician--preferably one that specializes in ear diseases--before buying a hearing aid, but that you decided not to have the medical exam.

Ads may also offer money-back guarantees if you're not satisfied with the hearing aid. Make sure you read and understand what the seller is promising. The best place to buy a hearing aid is from a licensed hearing aid dispenser, or seller. To find out if the seller is licensed, call or write your local Better Business Bureau, or your state's attorney general.