. "Free Hearing Test"

Make sure you are truly getting a free hearing test, and not just a free "sales pitch". Are you getting a short screening test (which is common), or a true evaluation?

A true hearing assessment should include:

Case history
Physical exam with otoscope
Pure tone audiometry
Middle ear assessment, either by tuning fork, bone oscillator, or tympanometry
Speech discrimination assessment
Speech audiometry

Always ask if you will receive a copy of your hearing test. You should keep a copy for your own records. Part of the HIPAA act gives you the right to have access to your own health records.

The audiologist I went to wants me to buy hearing aids that go on the outside of my ears. I want the ones that go inside my ear so they can't be seen. He tells me that they won't work for me. But I have several friends who say that the inside one work for them.

Do you know anything about this?

I'm not sure if I should buy a hearing aid online. The prices are so much better than what my audiologist wants to charge me. Can anyone share information or their experiences with me?