Do you recall those gallon buckets of ice cream you used to get at grocery stores? An entire gallon of ice cream, yum!
But as you grow up, you start to get a little more particular. You start opting for the more specialized ice cream: the Haagen-Daaz, the Tillamook, the Ben & Jerry’s. Suddenly, those littler containers are the ones that are appealing.
Still, if you’re hosting a large dinner party, you’re likely to spring for those generic Kemp’s ice cream buckets. Which means that each kind of ice cream has its own unique strengths and weaknesses. Generic is good in some situations, but you might want more specific ice cream in other situations.
This same attitude also pertains to hearing aids. How effective are those new over-the-counter hearing aids? Well, it’s a lot like that ice cream: it depends on what your plans are.
There can be real detrimental effects from hearing loss
Your daily life can be seriously impacted by hearing loss. When you have neglected hearing loss, you can experience social solitude, it’s more difficult to carry on even simple conversations, so you avoid situations where you encounter other individuals who may want to talk to you.
This can make you feel distant from your family and friends. You even avoid the cashier at the grocery store. It isn’t a happy way to live. And as you get older, your mental faculties can decline faster.
So it’s not simply that you can’t hear what your friends and family are saying, but you could also be increasing your chances of other potentially severe health problems.
How do over-the-counter hearing aids function?
It isn’t difficult to recognize why people would want to move towards hearing aids that can be obtained easily, given the health consequences of hearing loss.
Convenience is the very backbone of the appeal of over-the-counter hearing aids. Instead of going to see a hearing specialist and getting fitted for hearing aids, you just walk into your local pharmacy. You grab a set of these devices, pay for them, and head home. They basically amplify all of the sound around you.
This can have a profoundly positive affect on your life.
Over-the-counter hearing aids can work in some scenarios
Over-the-counter hearing aids began appearing on store shelves in late 2022 after the Food and Drug Administration made rule changes that allowed for their wider distribution. The rule change focused on getting hearing aids to more individuals who really need them for their untreated hearing loss.
It’s never been hard to get a prescription hearing aid, but it is a process. Many individuals, regrettably, feel intimidated by this process so they stay away from it. For people who aren’t quite ready to take the step, over-the-counter hearing aids can be a good substitute. But over-the-counter hearing aids were not designed to take the place of their prescription counterparts.
Regrettably, this means that consumers now bear some of the burden of determining when OTC hearing aids are a good choice (and when they aren’t).
What’s the difference between over-the-counter and prescription hearing aids?
As a general rule, prescription hearing aids are more powerful and have a lot more personalized features than OTC hearing aids. They will also not fit quite as well, and they won’t be customized to your needs.
So is there anything useful or positive about OTC hearing aids? There actually can be some benefits to an OTC in certain situations. An OTC hearing aid may work best for you if:
- You’ve consulted your hearing specialist, and they endorse using an OTC hearing aid. (For optimum results, ask your hearing specialist to address settings and style types that may work best for you.)
- You have really simple or early-stage hearing loss. These devices are great for really mild or moderate hearing loss.
- You want a spare pair in case of emergencies.
- You have no plan to get your hearing checked. (Some people never will, even though they absolutely should.) Usually, using an OTC hearing aid will be better than using no hearing aid.
It’s fairly typical for OTC presets to be pre-programmed when you get them. If your hearing loss is in the lower frequencies, some types will be best and if you have high-frequency hearing loss other models will be the best option. (So before you invest in a hearing aid, you should certainly get a better concept of your level and type of hearing loss.).
OTC hearing aids are often not the right option
So are there negative aspects to OTC hearing aids? Are there side effects of over-the-counter hearing aids?
Well, let’s just say that OTC hearing aids aren’t a good fit for everyone in every situation. OTC hearing won’t be the ideal option for you if:
- When you’re in challenging and noisy settings, you need to be able to hear. The majority of prescription hearing aids can be personalized depending on what you need to hear and where you need to hear it.
- Exactly which hearing aid to invest in is still unknown to you: The wrong hearing aids can actually make your hearing worse for somebody with hearing loss. (It’s like the equivalent of wearing really loud earbuds.)
- Is the money you paid really worth it if that OTC hearing aid isn’t effective in treating your hearing loss?
- You’re only considering OTC hearing aids because of perceived cost savings. Well, prescription hearing aids often don’t cost much more than OTC hearing aids.
- Your hearing loss has progressed to a fairly severe stage. More profound cases of hearing loss will require a more powerful prescription hearing aid while minor cases may do fine with OTC hearing aids.
- OTC hearing aids are not custom fit the way you may need them to be. In some cases, you might require something with a custom fit, which is only possible with a prescription hearing aid.
Are there any dangers that come with OTC hearing aids? You could be wasting good money and doing more damage to your ears by using OTC hearing aids if they’re not the best solution for your specific hearing loss.
Consult a hearing specialist either way
OTC hearing aids are a good fit for some people and prescription hearing aids are a good fit for others. Whichever decision is best for your circumstance, your hearing aids will work better after you get an appointment with us.
That’s because understanding more about your hearing loss will help you find a better treatment. Whether your hearing loss requires prescription hearing aids or OTC hearing aids, we can help you get the best treatment for your circumstance.
Similarly, we can help you better adjust 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.