It’s been a heavily debated topic for months now – but as of October 2022, over-the-counter (OTC) devices are now available for sale in the United States. Why are these devices such a controversial subject? Mainly because there is a lot of misunderstanding about how much untreated hearing loss can impact your quality of life, as well as how important finding a suitable hearing aid is to improving your symptoms. Whether you’re looking into traditional hearing aids or wonder if OTC devices would work for you, it’s vital to understand what both are and who they are designed to treat.

What is an OTC Hearing Aid?

OTC hearing aids are designed for adults who are experiencing symptoms of self-perceived mild hearing loss and who may not need amplification in every listening situation. For milder cases of hearing loss, it is posed that OTC hearing aids can be useful for improving the ability to hear speech and to better communicate with others, but might not need to be worn all of the time.

With the rise of the OTC hearing aid classification, other hearing aids are now typically known as prescription hearing aids. In comparison to prescription hearing aids, OTC devices do not tend to be able to amplify noise in the same refined way and may not have some of the more advanced features found in those devices.

What are Prescription Hearing Aids?

Tried and true, prescription hearing aids are the traditional devices offered by audiologists after they conduct a hearing test. These hearing aids come in a variety of styles, including: in the ear (ITE), behind the ear (BTE), in the canal (ITC), invisible in canal (IIC) and completely in canal (CIC). Your audiologist will discuss these various options with you and recommend any suitable models, styles and features they feel you could benefit from.

Are OTC Hearing Aids for Children?

No, OTC hearing aids are designed specifically for people who are over the age of 18. Because children’s ears are still developing and growing, they have their own specific needs that OTC hearing aids can be a bit too general to cover adequately. For instance, infants and young children grow at a rate that they may need new devices on a routine basis.

It’s also recommended that any child who experiences hearing loss has an audiologist there to provide as complete a picture of their hearing health as possible, and to stay on top of their needs. Routine follow-ups are also recommended to ensure that children are meeting their key speech and language milestones.

What are the Disadvantages of OTC Hearing Aids?

Unfortunately, OTC devices are simply not advanced enough for every instance of hearing loss. And even if you have a milder hearing loss, it’s important to realize what benefits you would be giving up by opting for over-the-counter technology. OTC devices cannot be customized to the same level as prescription hearing aids, which means your listening experience won’t be as fine-tuned as needed in different environments.

In addition to this, you’ll miss out on the various assistance and resources an audiologist can provide you with a prescription device. This includes information on how to properly use, store and maintain your device, any minor adjustments that need to be made, as well as help in the event you experience any malfunction with the technology.

Do Health Insurance Policies Provide Any Coverage?

In most cases, your insurance policy is going to cover your need for hearing tests, but as you know, OTC devices don’t require you to visit an audiologist. However, when it comes to actually buying hearing aids, the coverage can vary depending on the insurance company and the plan that you’re on.

Some will cover the costs of prescription hearing aids, while some might only cover hearing aids through an approval process that requires the help of an audiologist. You should get in touch with your policy provider if you’re uncertain of whether you would be covered for any kind of hearing health help.

Should You See an Audiologist?

OTC hearing aids, by definition, don’t require you to have a diagnostic hearing test before you can wear them, only for you to experience symptoms of mild to hearing loss. However, gauging your own experience and level of hearing loss is not always easy to accurately do. Because of this, an audiologist, who is licensed and certified to diagnose hearing loss precisely, can help you greatly. They can help you find out the severity of hearing loss and recommend the type of amplification you will need to benefit from a hearing device.

If you want to learn more about finding the right technology to treat your hearing loss, we are happy to Kirsch Audiology by calling our office at 310-586-5533.