Seek medical advice on your hearing problems, and look for flexible return policies. As U.S. adults are now able to buy OTC hearing aids without a prescription, here are a few things to be aware of when shopping for the devices – and where to get them.
With the arrival of over-the-counter hearing aids, there’s a lot to sift through in terms of types of devices and what to look out for. Here’s a guide to get started.
Now, with the OTC availability, adults will be able to try a device on their own rather than seeing a doctor and/or audiologist. On a cautionary note, Janice Lintz, a hearing access consultant, said consumers should be careful when purchasing over-the-counter aids because there is no performance testing on the products and no data available to compare models.
“Although the shift to over-the-counter hearing aids might seem more convenient, and also opens the door to new innovations in technology, I would still highly recommend seeking a doctor of audiology to help patients make the best decisions to correct hearing loss,” Carson said. —Be aware of who should NOT try to get an OTC hearing aid. At the top of this list: anyone under age 18, Creed said. Parents may think they’re doing the right thing by obtaining a hearing aid for a child or teen with hearing loss, but they can actually end up doing more harm than good. “I worry about the teenagers, I worry about the parents that think they’re helping their child and just not knowing that it could hurt them,” Creed said.
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