Do you remember 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 begin to become more particular in your taste as you mature. Your ice cream preferences become more specialized and you have a tendency to go for your favorite brand. All of a sudden, those littler containers are the ones that are appealing.
But you will probably still go for that big bucket if you’re having a big dinner party. There are benefits and drawbacks to each choice. Generic is good in some situations, but you may want more specific ice cream in other circumstances.
This same mindset also pertains to hearing aids. How good 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 negative effects from hearing loss
Hearing loss can have a considerable effect on your day-to-day activities. When you have neglected hearing loss, you can encounter social isolation, it’s harder to carry on even basic conversations, so you stay away from situations where you confront other individuals who may want to speak with you.
This can cause you to feel distant from your family and friends. When you go to the store you use self-checkout so you can avoid the cashiers. It’s lonely. And as you age, your mental faculties can deteriorate faster.
So not only are you failing to hear conversations with your loved ones (making holidays and birthdays much less fun, for example), but you have other health issues to worry about also!
How do over-the-counter hearing aids function?
It’s not hard to understand why people would want to move towards hearing aids that can be purchased easily, given the health repercussions of hearing loss.
By their nature, over-the-counter hearing aids are designed to be convenient. You just walk into your local pharmacy and you never have to make an appointment with a hearing specialist. You grab a set of these devices, pay for them, and go home. Once you put them in, they work to amplify the sound around you.
Your life can be greatly and positively impacted by this.
In some circumstances over-the-counter hearing aids can do the job
In 2022 the Food and Drug Administration changed some rules about the distribution of hearing aids that allowed stores including pharmacies to sell them. The rule change focused on getting hearing aids to more people who really need them for their neglected hearing loss.
You’ve always had to go through a bit of a process to acquire prescription hearing aids. And in some cases, that process can keep people away. Over-the-counter hearing aids might not be a bad solution for individuals who just aren’t ready to deal with the process. But prescription hearing aids were never meant to be replaced by over-the-counter models.
But this means that some of the burden of understanding when over-the-counter hearing aids are or aren’t the best option lies with the individual.
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 customizable features than OTC hearing aids. They won’t be personalized to your particular requirements and they won’t fit as well.
So is there anything helpful or beneficial about OTC hearing aids? There actually can be some advantages to an OTC in particular circumstances. An OTC hearing aid might work best for you if:
- You have no plan to get your hearing test. (You absolutely should. But we also acknowledge that some individuals just never will.) An OTC hearing aid is generally better than no hearing aid at all.
- You want a spare set to use for emergencies.
- Your hearing specialist is recommending an OTC. (For best results, ask your hearing specialist to go over settings and style types that may work best for you.)
- Your hearing loss is in the early stages and is really simple. For mild instances of hearing loss, these devices will work just fine.
Usually, OTC hearing aids are sold with specific presets already in place. Some types are good for low-frequency hearing loss, others may be good for high-frequency hearing loss. (So before you invest in a hearing aid, you should definitely get a better concept of your level and type of hearing loss.).
When OTC hearing aids aren’t a practical fit
So, what are the drawbacks to over-the-counter hearing aids? Will you encounter undesirable effects from OTC hearing aids?
Well every scenario won’t include OTC hearing aids, let’s just say. OTC hearing will not be the best choice for you if:
- Your hearing aids don’t fit well. A custom fit is frequently necessary for some people and OTC hearing aids don’t allow this.
- You’re only thinking about OTC hearing aids because of perceived cost savings. Well, prescription hearing aids commonly don’t cost much more than OTC hearing aids.
- Exactly which hearing aid to purchase is still unknown to you: The wrong hearing aids can actually make your hearing worse for somebody who has hearing loss. (It’s not a lot different than if you turn your earbuds up to a really loud setting.)
- Is the money you paid really worth it if that OTC hearing aid isn’t effective in treating your hearing loss?
- You need to hear in challenging or noisy environments. Depending on what surroundings you need to hear in and precisely what you’re listening to, prescription hearing aids can be customized for those situations.
- Your hearing loss has advanced to a fairly profound stage. While OTC hearing aids can be helpful for less significant hearing loss, severe hearing loss will require something more powerful and more refined.
What are the dangers of over-the-counter hearing aids? You could be wasting good money and further damaging 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 suitable for some individuals and prescription hearing aids are a good fit for others. Whichever decision is best for your situation, your hearing aids will work better after you have an appointment with us.
That’s because learning more about your hearing loss will help you get better treatment. We can help steer you toward the best hearing aid for your symptoms, whether it’s OTC or prescription.
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.
Make an appointment with us so we can help you determine what hearing aid type is best for you.