Recovering The SelfA Journal of Hope and Healing

Disabilities

Over The Counter (OTC) Hearing Aids – What You Need to Know

by Dr. Renee Flanagan

If you suffer from hearing loss, the only solution at the moment is to have a pair of FDA regulated hearing aids fitted by an Audiologist or Hearing Aid Dispenser.

While these hearing aids treat the widest range of hearing loss degrees, they may cost several thousand dollars and require an appointment with a licensed hearing specialist.

This method effectively matches patients with appropriate, high-quality solutions; however, the financial investment, diagnosis and ordering process often deters people from trying hearing aids thus delaying them from receiving necessary help for their hearing loss. Therefore, adults with mild to moderate hearing loss will soon be able to purchase over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids.

hearing aids

Image @ Ekaterina Shakharova

What Are OTC Hearing Aids?

OTC hearing aids are ear level instruments available either online or in store for purchase without a prescription or supervision by a medical professional. They are designed to increase the volume of sounds around a listener, and many have some of the same features as standard hearing aids, such as directional microphones.

While OTC hearing aids were expected to be available in the summer of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic ultimately delayed the release date. Now, medical professionals are pushing the FDA to pass the new OTC hearing aid law quickly to enable people to access OTC hearing aids sometime in 2021.

The Benefits of OTC Hearing Aids

OTC hearing aids were never available before as improperly fitted hearing aids can result in more damage than good.

However, medical professionals realized that the reality is that many people that need hearing aids never seek them simply because the process to acquire them is too involved and the price is too high.

In fact, only about 16 percent of aged 20-69 that could benefit from hearing aids use them. Hearing loss not only reduces quality of life, but it is also linked to depression and even early onset of dementia.

Therefore, to break down the barrier to entry, the FDA has agreed to release OTC hearing aids.

Drawbacks of OTC Hearing Aids

While OTC hearing aids may be able to increase the quality of life for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss, there is a good reason why the FDA forbade them until now.

First, hearing aids need to be adjusted for your hearing loss level to provide maximum benefit. In addition, if your hearing aid is poorly adjusted or too loud, it can cause further permanent hearing loss.

Hearing loss is also often a symptom of greater problems like Ménière’s disease, blunt trauma, tumors and more. Therefore, if you are never professionally fitted for hearing aids, you risk missing key signs of other more urgent matters.

Finally, if you try OTC hearing aids and aren’t satisfied with them, it may lead you to believe that there is no effective hearing loss solution. Fortunately, there is a major difference in quality and sound in professionally fitted hearing aids and OTC hearing aids.

Professionally fitted hearing aids have plenty of features that OTC hearing aids lack, and the overall sound quality is much higher.

Final Thoughts

Even if you never intend to purchase OTC hearing aids, consider at least getting your hearing tested by a professional Audiologist or Hearing Aid Dispenser. This will ensure that your hearing loss is not a symptom of a more serious medical condition and will give you an idea of the most advanced technological options appropriate for your degree of loss and individual lifestyle needs.

You may also want to talk to other people properly fit with hearing aids to learn more about how it changed their lives. Regardless, effective solutions are available to help improve your hearing and get back to living life to the fullest.

About the Author

Dr. Renee Flanagan is the Director of Audiological Care at HearingPlanet. She works with the training and development of Hearing Care staff so they may help the hearing impaired population by following best in class hearing healthcare practices.

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