Do you recall those gallon buckets of ice cream you used to get at grocery stores? As a kid, they were the best thing ever because they promised 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 mature. Your ice cream preferences get more specialized and you have a tendency to opt for your favorite brand. All of a sudden, those littler containers are the ones that are enticing.
But you will still probably opt for that big bucket if you’re having a large dinner party. There are pros and cons to each choice. In some scenarios, you will want to go with the specialized selection, and in others, the generic will be the best choice.
Of course, we’re also talking about hearing aids here. Are new over-the-counter hearing aids any good? Well, much like our ice cream illustration, it depends on what you want to do.
There can be significant detrimental effects from hearing loss
Your daily life can be significantly impacted by hearing loss. When you have untreated hearing loss, you can experience social solitude, it’s harder to carry on even simple conversations, so you stay away from situations where you encounter other people who may want to talk to you.
This can make you feel removed from your friends and family. When you go to the store you go to self-checkout so you can avoid the cashiers. It’s lonely. And it can bring about a faster cognitive decline as you age.
So not only are you missing out on conversations with your loved ones (making holidays and birthdays a lot less fun, for instance), but you have other health problems to worry about too!
Over-the-counter hearing aids – how they function
Given the harm that hearing loss can cause, it’s not very difficult to see the appeal of hearing aids that are easy to get.
By their nature, over-the-counter hearing aids are made to be convenient. Instead of going to see a hearing specialist and getting fitted for hearing aids, you just stroll into your local pharmacy. You grab a pair of these devices, pay for them, and head home. They basically amplify all of the sound around you.
This can have a profoundly positive impact on your life.
In some situations over-the-counter hearing aids can work
Over-the-counter hearing aids began appearing in stores around late 2022 after the Food and Drug Administration made some changes to certain rules that allowed for their wider distribution. The rule change aimed at getting hearing aids to more individuals who really need them for their untreated hearing loss.
It’s never been hard to purchase a prescription hearing aid, but it is a process. And sometimes, that process can cause people to stay away. For individuals who aren’t quite ready to make that leap, over-the-counter hearing aids could 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 best choice lies with the individual.
How are OTC hearing aids different than prescription hearing aids?
Generally speaking, OTC hearing aids are not quite as powerful, capable, or customizable as prescription hearing aids. They won’t be personalized to your specific requirements and they won’t fit as well.
So is there anything useful or beneficial about OTC hearing aids? Well, yes, in specific situations. An OTC hearing aid may 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 want a spare pair in case of emergencies.
- You’re never going to get your hearing checked. (You absolutely should. But we also understand that some individuals just never will.) An OTC hearing aid is typically better than no hearing aid at all.
- You have very simple or early-stage hearing loss. For mild cases of hearing loss, these devices will work ok.
Usually, OTC hearing aids are sold with certain presets already programmed in. If your hearing loss is in the lower wavelengths, some types will be the right choice and if you have high-frequency hearing loss other designs will be the best choice. (So before you purchase a hearing aid, you should definitely 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? Will you experience undesirable effects from OTC hearing aids?
Well every scenario won’t call for OTC hearing aids, let’s just say. Generally, OTC hearing aids may not be the right solution for you if:
- You don’t know precisely which hearing aid to buy: For some individuals with hearing loss, the wrong hearing aids can actually harm their ears. (It’s like the equivalent of wearing really loud earbuds.)
- OTC hearing aids are not custom fit the way you might need them to be. A custom fit is sometimes necessary for some individuals and OTC hearing aids don’t allow for this.
- You’re only thinking about OTC hearing aids because you think they cost a lot less. Well, prescription hearing aids often don’t cost much more than OTC hearing aids.
- Your hearing loss has progressed to a fairly profound stage. While OTC hearing aids can be good for less significant hearing loss, profound hearing loss will require something more powerful and more refined.
- Is the money you spent really worth it if that OTC hearing aid is that much lower in power?
- 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 precisely what you’re listening to, prescription hearing aids can be customized for those situations.
Are there any risks that come with OTC hearing aids? Generally speaking, if you aren’t a good fit 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 fine, but for others, prescription hearing aids will be needed. But either way, making an appointment can help your hearing aids work better.
That’s because knowing more about your hearing loss will help you find a better treatment. We can help steer you toward the best hearing aid for your situation, whether it’s OTC or prescription.
Similarly, we can help you better adjust to a new set of hearing aids, and get the most out of the technology.
If you believe you have hearing loss and want to find out if OTC hearing aids are right for you, schedule an appointment with us today.
