Is It Okay To Borrow Someone Else’s Hearing Aid?

Is it okay to borrow someone else’s hearing aid before visiting a hearing professional?

Hearing aids are devices used by patients experiencing hearing loss to amplify sound and allow more natural hearing in noisy surroundings.  Hearing aids are usually provided with a prescription and specifically programmed to a patient’s personal audiogram.  Not only are hearing aids meant for the patient with the prescription, often the level of hearing loss in one ear will differ from the level of loss in the other ear.  

Some people wonder if they can borrow a hearing aid from a friend or family member before deciding whether to get their own exam and prescription.  This is not recommended, due to the specificity of an audiogram.  Only a hearing professional can determine if the cause of hearing loss requires a hearing aid.  Some instances of hearing loss are caused by simply a build up of wax inside the ear canal and do not require a hearing aid at all.  If the diagnosed hearing loss requires a hearing aid, your hearing professional will program your hearing aids and set them for your particular audiogram.  

If you have a hearing loss in both ears your hearing professional will prescribe hearing aids as a set, also called bilateral hearing devices.  If you have a hearing loss in both ears the use of one hearing aid in a single ear can actually cause you to lose directionality of sound.  For this reason use of a single hearing aid, also called a unilateral hearing device, is not usually recommended.  

The tendency of patients to want to borrow hearing aids to “test drive” them prior to seeing a hearing professional is understandably discouraged.  Kind of like using someone else’s glasses to see if glasses might help you.  If your hearing loss is different than the person’s you’re trying you may not have a good experience.  

If a patient is experiencing hearing loss, a hearing professional can determine the cause and diagnose hearing aids, if they are necessary.  Using someone else’s hearing aid may discourage you from getting the help you need.  Patients who believe they are suffering from hearing loss should see a hearing professional for their own personal diagnosis and prescription.

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