GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Millions of Americans who have experienced some form of hearing loss are now able to purchase hearing aids over the counter without the need for a prescription or hearing examination.
FOX 17 spoke with Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation on what to know before shopping for hearing aids and what causes hearing loss.
Audiologist Emily Brandner says aging is one of the main reasons people lose their hearing, which happens gradually over time. She says genetics can determine how quickly someone loses their hearing.
“Another factor would be noise exposure,” Emily adds. “If you work around a lot of noise, do a lot of shooting, those core things add up to a lot of noise exposure, which can also cause hearing loss.”
Other contributing factors of hearing loss include chemotherapy and some strong antibiotics.
Emily says it’s time to see a doctor if sounds become muffled or if sudden hearing loss, dizziness, pulsing or ringing occurs.
She also says children should never be fitted for over-the-counter hearing aids, adding they need to be evaluated by an audiologist or an ear, nose and throat doctor.
“There's a lot of medical conditions that can go along with hearing loss in childhood,” says Emily. “We want to make sure that they’re taken care of, and fortunately in the state of Michigan, Children's Special Health Care helps to cover hearing aids, so there should be no reason that they need to go that route.”
We’re told 70% of people with hearing loss are not fitted with hearing aids, so their availability over the counter is welcome news.
However, Emily says they are only for people with mild to moderate hearing loss.
“So they're more like how you would use reading glasses. So just a little general aging, your hearing’s starting to decrease a little bit; you need a little boost.” Emily explains. “You don't necessarily need a lot of help with them.”
We’re told it helps to have your hearing checked to determine which hearing aids are right for you.
Emily warns the quality can vary when it comes to over-the-counter hearing aids.
“Some of them are pretty decent,” she says. “They have an app where you can go on your phone and match your hearing loss and then have machine learning so they notice over time in what situations you need it a little louder or a little softer. Some of them are just slightly better than the really cheap amplifier.”
Emily says it’s a good idea to look up reviews for hearing aids before committing to a purchase, as they can cost $700–$1,200 for a single pair. For that reason, she recommends looking up the return policies and warranty information.
