Vol.99 No.10 contentsPRACTICA OTO-RHINO-LARYNGOLOGICA
Vol. 99 No. 10 October 2006
The Clinical Status of Hearing Aids
Mutsuko Hara, Masami Osaki, Osamu Hida,
Takayuki Gamou, Kaori Kuroda and Eikichi Tokunaga
(Ageo Central General Hospital)
Since the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law was revised on April 1st, 2005, hearing aids are designated as controlled medical instruments. ENT physicians are now therefore required to offer appropriate advice or suggestions to hearing impaired patients.
A study was made of 243 patients aged 2 to 100 years old with hearing impairments who visited our clinic from August 2003 to July 2005. Statistical analysis was performed for age, sex, and the average pure tone audiogram, speech discrimination score, the use of a hearing aid at the first medical examination and the progress, type and price of the hearing aid.
The results were as follows:
1. Sixty-one point nine percent of the male patients were from 60 to 79 years old and 43.1％ of the female were over 80 years old.
2. Over 60％ of the patients indicated slight or medium-grade hearing loss (40 dB to 70 dB) and the mean pure tone auditory level was 62.8 dB.
3. Eighty-five point two percent achieved more than 50％ in the speech discrimination score.
4. Half of the outpatients at our clinic wear a digital hearing aid costing less than a 100,000 yen.
The authors recognize the significance of ENT physicians performing periodic examinations and suggesting appropriate hearing aid advice.
Key words :hearing aid, controlled medical instrument, hearing impairment