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Over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids are a new type of hearing aid that people can buy without going to an audiologist first. These devices are meant to help adults who think they are losing their hearing in a mild to moderate way. Like hearing aids you get from a hearing health provider, over-the-counter hearing aids make sounds louder so that adults who have trouble hearing can better listen, talk and take part in daily activities. Also, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates over-the-counter hearing aids as medical devices (FDA).
Hearing aids that can be bought without a prescription are an alternative to hearing aids that can only be bought from professionals. The hearing health professional fits you for the hearing aid, programs the settings to your hearing loss and gives you other services like future adjustments, maintenance and cleaning.
As of mid-October 2022, you can buy hearing aids without a prescription in stores and online, where prescription hearing aids are not sold. You put them on yourself, and have to adjust the sound levels on your own.
Adults who think they have mild-to-moderate hearing loss can use over-the-counter hearing aids. They are not made for children with any degree of hearing loss or adults who have more severe cases. If your hearing loss is more severe, over-the-counter hearing aids will not be able to boost sounds to a level that will help you.
The FDA has rules that manufacturers of over-the-counter hearing aids must follow. In general, these rules from the government:
Personal sound amplification products (PSAPs) are another type of amplification device that you can buy without a doctor’s note or prescription. PSAPs are for people who don’t have extensive trouble hearing. They help you hear certain sounds better in certain situations, like when you are watching birds. The FDA regulates over-the-counter hearing aids for adults with hearing loss as medical devices, but PSAPs are not.
Hearing aids available over-the-counter (OTC) are for adults aged 18 and up who think they have self-perceived mild-to-moderate hearing loss, even though they haven’t had a hearing test. You may have mild-to-moderate hearing loss if, for example:
Hearing loss hurts the quality of life for tens of millions of adult Americans and adds to the high cost of health care. Hearing loss that isn’t treated can make people feel alone, and it has been linked to serious problems like depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, dementia, less mobility, and falls. But only one out of every four adults who could use hearing aids has ever used one. As the number of older people in the U.S. continues to grow, it is important for public health to make hearing health care more accessible and affordable.
While OTC devices are designed to make hearing aids more accessible to the population, it’s important to note that many people opt for traditional hearing aids because of the benefits having professional advice will bring. Prescription hearing aids will be more customized to your specific needs because they will be programmed based off of your hearing test results.
If you want to learn more about the differences between OTC and prescription hearing aids, give the team at Hearing Solutions Inc. a call at (701) 566-7280.
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