You Mean Not All Hearing Aid Dispensers are Audiologists?

That’s right. Contrary to what some might lead you to believe, not all individuals who are licensed to sell hearing aids have a degree in audiology. You see, audiology is the science of hearing health care and treatment, and to become an audiologist, one must go to college for eight years. This extensive training equips audiologists to provide careful diagnosis of hearing conditions, and prepares them with the skills necessary to prescribe and manage the most effective treatment strategies. 

Most state laws that license people to sell hearing aids were established before the audiology profession became a viable option for people to seek when looking for hearing loss treatment. Testing hearing for the purposes of fitting a hearing aid does not constitute audiology care. It is just the minimum (according to state law) needed to buy and use a hearing aid. But hearing loss is a more demanding condition than this, and a careful case history followed by comprehensive hearing testing to determine the cause and conditions associated with hearing loss are necessary before any treatment strategy, which may or may not include hearing aids, should be considered. That is why making sure your care giver is an audiologist is so important.