ORLANDO, Fla. – Approximately 48 million Americans report some degree of hearing loss, with less than 20 percent of them actually getting the help they need.
Numbers show that hearing loss is the third-most common physical condition, behind arthritis and heart disease, affecting people of all ages.
John Luna, the CEO of iHearMedical, joins News 6 at Nine to talk about the new at-home hearing test the company has developed that will be available nationwide this month.
Q&A with John Luna about iHearTest
What is it?
iHearTest is the only FDA-cleared home screener available direct to consumers for home use. For the first time ever, the public will be able to walk into their local independently owned pharmacy and purchase the iHearTest that they can use at home to evaluate their hearing. Having the Food and Drug Administration clearance means consumers are protected knowing the FDA has approved the efficacy and safety of how this home screener checks hearing and determines indications of benefit from the use of a hearing aid based on the Hearing Number.
Why is it important for consumers to be able to monitor their own hearing at home?
iHEAR Medical is dedicated to affordable and accessible hearing solutions, featuring superior sound quality and innovative online tools. Our self-administered hearing screener iHearTest is an integral part of the future of better, more accessible hearing products. Your own iHearTest results can be used to program your iHEAR hearing aids and amplifiers immediately, ensuring a direct and successful result.
The iHearTest is an answer for, and a boon to, the millions of people who normally wait until age 70 to treat their hearing loss by wearing hearing aids.
Who should be interested in assessing their own hearing loss?
Our goal is to bring high-quality hearing amplification to the millions of Americans who may have hesitated in the past due to cost or general uncertainty about making sure they are getting what they need. The statistics are staggering for those in need: Of adults aged 20-69 who could benefit, only 16 percent have tried hearing devices, and very likely even less have had their hearing tested in many years, or decades. In fact, the average delay between the time someone is affected by hearing loss to when they finally seek treatment is seven years. It’s recommended that adults over 40 years old monitor and screen their hearing annually.
How does it work?
Consumers can purchase the iHearTest home hearing screener, bring it home and follow the simple instructions to evaluate their own hearing in each ear. The screening takes about 5 to 6 minutes. The results are comprehensive but easy to understand, with a simple 1 through 5 scoring system, from profound hearing loss (1) to good hearing in each ear (5). People will finally know the answer to: What’s My Hearing Number?
For a video on how to use the test, click here.
For more information on how to purchase a test and to see a hearing questionnaire, click here.