Remember when you used to be able to get those gallon buckets of ice cream at the grocery store? As a kid, they were the best thing ever because they offered an entire gallon of ice cream, that’s a lot of frozen custard and high-fructose corn syrup!
But you start to become more particular in your taste as you get older. Your ice cream preferences get more specialized and you have a tendency to opt for your favorite brand. All of a sudden, those smaller containers are the ones that are enticing.
Nevertheless, if you’re hosting a large dinner party, you’re likely to go for those generic buckets of Kemp’s ice cream. Which means that each type of ice cream has its own unique strengths and drawbacks. In some circumstances, you will want to go with the specialized option, and in others, the generic will be a better solution.
Obviously, we’re also referring to hearing aids here. How effective are those new over-the-counter hearing aids? Well, much like our ice cream illustration, it depends on what your goals are.
Hearing loss can have serious impacts
Hearing loss can have a considerable impact on your day-to-day activities. When you have untreated hearing loss, you can experience social isolation, it’s more difficult to carry on even simple conversations, so you avoid situations where you confront other people who might want to talk to you.
This can cause you to feel removed from your friends and family. You even avoid the cashier at the grocery store. It’s not a happy way to live. And as you age, your cognitive faculties can decline faster.
So it isn’t just that you can’t hear what your family and friends are saying, but you could also be enhancing your risk of other potentially serious health issues.
Over-the-counter hearing aids – how they function
Given the harm that hearing loss can cause, it’s easy to recognize the appeal of hearing aids that are simple to get.
By their nature, over-the-counter hearing aids are made to be convenient. You simply go into your local pharmacy and you never need to schedule an appointment with a hearing specialist. You grab a set of these devices, pay for them, and head home. They essentially amplify all of the sound around you.
This can have a profoundly positive affect on your life.
Over-the-counter hearing aids can do the trick in some scenarios
In 2022 the Food and Drug Administration changed the rule about the sale of hearing aids that allowed stores including pharmacies to sell them. The rule change aimed at getting hearing aids to more people who really need them for their neglected hearing loss.
You’ve always had to go through somewhat of a process to acquire prescription hearing aids. And in some cases, that process can keep people away. For individuals who aren’t quite ready to take the step, over-the-counter hearing aids may be a good alternative. But prescription hearing aids were never meant to be replaced by over-the-counter models.
But this means that some of the burden of recognizing when over-the-counter hearing aids are or aren’t the right option lies with the individual.
What’s the essential difference between over-the-counter and prescription hearing aids?
Generally speaking, OTC hearing aids aren’t quite as powerful, efficient, or customizable as prescription hearing aids. They won’t be personalized to your particular needs and they won’t fit as well.
So is there anything useful or positive about OTC hearing aids? Well, yes, in specific cases. An OTC hearing aid might work best for you if:
- Your hearing specialist is recommending an OTC. (Hopefully, your hearing specialist will even recommend which style or type, and what settings will perform most optimally.)
- You keep a pair around just in case your prescription hearing aids need to go in for maintenance.
- You have no plan to get your hearing assessed. (Some individuals never will, even though they absolutely should.) An OTC hearing aid is typically better than no hearing aid at all.
- Your hearing loss is in the early phases and is very simple. These devices are good for really mild or moderate hearing loss.
It’s fairly typical for OTC presets to be pre-programmed when you buy them. If your hearing loss is in the lower wavelengths, some models will be best and if you have high-frequency hearing loss other designs will be the best option. (So before you buy a hearing aid, you should certainly get a better concept of your level and type of hearing loss.).
When OTC hearing aids are not a practical solution
So are there negative aspects to OTC hearing aids? Are there adverse side effects of over-the-counter hearing aids?
Well, let’s just say that OTC hearing aids aren’t a great fit for everyone in every situation. Generally, OTC hearing aids might not be the right solution for you if:
- You think OTC hearing aids will save you a lot of money. OTC hearing aids are usually almost as expensive as their prescription-only counterparts.
- Your hearing aids don’t fit well. A custom fit is sometimes necessary for some people and OTC hearing aids don’t allow this.
- A cheaper hearing aid that doesn’t adequately manage your hearing loss most likely isn’t worth what it cost you.
- When you’re in complex and noisy settings, you need to be able to hear. Depending on what settings you need to hear in and exactly what you’re listening to, prescription hearing aids can be customized for those situations.
- You have more profound hearing loss. While OTC hearing aids can be helpful for less significant hearing loss, profound hearing loss will need something more powerful and more sophisticated.
- You don’t know precisely which hearing aid to buy: The wrong hearing aids can actually make your hearing worse for someone with hearing loss. (It’s comparable to using really loud earbuds.)
Are there any risks that come with OTC hearing aids? In general, if you aren’t a good candidate for OTC hearing aids, you could be wasting some money or making your hearing loss worse.
Consult a hearing specialist either way
For some individuals, OTC hearing aids will be okay, but for others, prescription hearing aids will be appropriate. Whichever decision is best for your situation, your hearing aids will work better after you get an appointment with us.
You will be capable of getting better treatment when you understand more about your hearing loss. Whether your hearing loss calls for prescription hearing aids or OTC hearing aids, we can help you get the best treatment for your circumstance.
In the same way, we can help you better adapt to a new set of hearing aids, and get the most out of the technology.
Schedule an appointment with us so we can help you find out what hearing aid type is best for you.
