Hearing Aid Accessibility: The Pros and Cons of Over-the-Counter Options
Introduction
In a new development that may impact millions of Americans with hearing loss, the FDA has introduced a rule that allows certain hearing aids to be sold without a prescription. While some view this as a positive step towards increased accessibility and affordability, others have concerns about the potential drawbacks. This article will explore the arguments surrounding over-the-counter hearing aids, weighing the benefits and drawbacks and offering unique insights.
The Debate: Accessibility vs. Professional Care
Advocates for people with hearing loss have long argued that the high cost and lack of access to hearing aids prevent many individuals from seeking necessary treatment. By making certain devices available without a prescription, the hope is that more people will be able to afford and access the help they need. This is particularly important for those living in rural areas, lacking health insurance, or facing other barriers to care.
On the other hand, some audiologists worry that individuals who purchase over-the-counter hearing aids may not receive the necessary evaluation, education, and ongoing care. Without professional guidance, users may struggle to properly use or adjust the devices. It is also possible that underlying issues, such as earwax buildup or more serious conditions like tumors, may go undetected without proper evaluation.
The Role of Precaution and Responsibility
Audiologists argue that purchasing hearing aids without a prescription could come with risks. Consumers may unknowingly set the devices to excessively high volumes, potentially causing further hearing damage. While some have called for limits on gain, the FDA did not include these regulations in response to public comments. In order to ensure safe and effective use of over-the-counter hearing aids, it is crucial for users to take precautions and consult professionals whenever necessary.
Hearing Aid Manufacturers’ Perspective
For hearing aid manufacturers, the FDA rule represents an opportunity to expand their market and make hearing aids more accessible. Lowering costs and increasing availability could help remove the stigma surrounding hearing loss and encourage more individuals to seek treatment. However, even manufacturers stress the importance of consulting a hearing care professional for follow-up care and guarantee support.
The Cost Consideration
Currently, the cost of hearing aids varies greatly depending on the level of sophistication and the bundled services that come with them. These costs can range anywhere from several hundred to nearly $8,000 per pair. With the availability of over-the-counter options, it is possible that the cost will lower, making hearing aids more accessible to a wider range of individuals.
The Importance of Follow-Up Care
Audiologists emphasize the complexities of hearing aids and the need for ongoing follow-up care. Programming and adjusting the devices to suit individual needs can be a challenging process that requires professional guidance. Without this support, users may become frustrated and abandon their devices altogether. It is crucial for individuals considering over-the-counter options to be aware of the importance of follow-up care and to seek professional assistance when needed.
The Social and Emotional Impact
Untreated hearing loss can lead to isolation, depression, anxiety, and an increased risk of dementia and falls. By making hearing aids more visible and readily available, it is hoped that society’s perception of hearing loss will change. Increased awareness and acceptance could reduce stigma and encourage more open conversations about hearing health.
Conclusion: A Path to Accessibility with Caution
The availability of over-the-counter hearing aids presents both opportunities and challenges. While it may provide a new path to care for millions of Americans with hearing loss, precautions must be taken to ensure the safe and effective use of these devices. It is essential for individuals to understand the need for ongoing care and professional guidance. By striking a balance between accessibility and responsibility, over-the-counter hearing aids can contribute to a better quality of life for those who are hard of hearing.
Summary
The recent FDA rule allowing the sale of certain hearing aids without a prescription has sparked a debate among professionals, individuals with hearing loss, and manufacturers. Advocates for accessibility see this as a positive step towards affordability and availability, while audiologists express concerns about the lack of evaluation and ongoing care. Precautions are necessary to avoid potential risks, such as improper volume settings. The cost of hearing aids may decrease with over-the-counter options, but the importance of follow-up care should not be overlooked. Increased visibility and acceptance of hearing aids can help reduce stigma and improve the overall well-being of individuals with hearing loss.
—————————————————-
| Article | Link |
|---|---|
| UK Artful Impressions | Premiere Etsy Store |
| Sponsored Content | View |
| 90’s Rock Band Review | View |
| Ted Lasso’s MacBook Guide | View |
| Nature’s Secret to More Energy | View |
| Ancient Recipe for Weight Loss | View |
| MacBook Air i3 vs i5 | View |
| You Need a VPN in 2023 – Liberty Shield | View |
Cough syrup, aspirin, toilet paper… and hearing aids. That may be some consumers’ drugstore shopping list this fall, thanks to a new FDA rule that makes some hearing aids available without a prescription at pharmacies, electronics stores like Best Buy, and online.
Is this good news or bad news for the estimated 38 million American adults who are hard of hearing?
It depends on who you ask. Some advocates for people with hearing loss pushed for the rule to be changed, hoping it would make hearing aids cheaper, easier to get and less stigmatized. Hearing aid manufacturers are encouraging greater opportunities to market and sell their products.
But audiologists, even those who generally support the idea of non-prescription hearing aids, worry that without initial evaluation and ongoing care, people buy the devices without knowing how to use or adjust them. Also, they won’t know the cause of your hearing loss, which could be caused by earwax, fluid in the ear, or, in rare cases, a tumor that requires surgery.
At the Hearing Loss Association of America, a Maryland-based consumer advocacy group that provides education and support to people with hearing loss who embrace technology solutions (as opposed to people born deaf who use American Sign Language), CEO Barbara Kelley says over-the-counter hearing aids mean “a new path to care” for millions of people.
“Eighty percent of people who could benefit from a hearing aid don’t get it,” he says, due to a combination of stigma, denial, cost, and lack of access. They may live in rural areas, far from an audiologist; or they may lack health insurance that pays for ongoing hearing health care. “If this makes those devices affordable and accessible by normalizing them, we think that’s a good thing.”
The FDA rule creates a category of hearing aids, available to people 18 and older with mild to moderate hearing loss, that can be sold without a prescription, fit adjustment, or hearing test required.
“I would say it’s not good news,” says Cindy Simon, AuD, an audiologist whose South Miami-based practice includes many older patients. “I spend 2 hours delivering a hearing aid, showing [patients] how to use it, having them come back weekly for 4 weeks to make adjustments.
“Can you imagine going to Walgreen’s, buying a hearing aid, and waiting for the girl at the counter to sit down and show you how to use it?”
Sherrie Davis, AuD, associate director of audiology and the Center for Dizziness and Balance at Penn Medicine in Philadelphia, notes that it’s hard for someone to tell if their hearing loss is mild, moderate, or severe; Without a test, there’s no chance of finding other causes of hearing problems, from mild conditions like allergies to more serious ones like an acoustic neuroma, a benign tumor on the nerves that run from the inner ear to the brain.
Some audiologists fear that consumers could damage their hearing by setting the devices too high a volume; they advocated limits on “output gain”: the difference between the unamplified sound heard by a patient and the same sound heard with a hearing aid. However, the FDA did not include limits on gain, in response to some of the more than 1,000 public comments received on the rule, it limited the maximum sound output of over-the-counter headphones to 117 decibels (almost the level of a jet plane during takeoff).
“We don’t want people putting devices in their ears and causing further hearing loss,” says Tricia Ashby-Scabis, AuD, senior director of audiology practice at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, which represents speech-language pathologists, audiologists and similar professionals.
For hearing aid manufacturers, the FDA rule is cause for celebration. Gary Rosenblum, president of hearing aid company Oticon and president of the Hearing Industries Association, the manufacturers’ group, says making hearing aids available over-the-counter (OTC) will lower their cost and make them easier to get.
But even he cautions that “over-the-counter hearing aids are not necessarily a panacea” and urges people who buy hearing aids without a prescription to continue to consult a hearing care professional and ask direct questions about return policies and guarantees.
Hearing aids currently cost anywhere from several hundred to nearly $8,000 per pair, depending on their technological sophistication and the “bundled services” package that comes with audiologist care; these can include a free 30- or 45-day trial, weekly visits for adjustments and questions, and several years of follow-up care.
Today’s market includes a wide range of hearing aid types, from tiny buds that sit inside the ear canal to behind-the-ear models with a transparent wire; rechargeable and battery operated; and hearing aids that sync with a smartphone and can be used with Bluetooth.
“It’s naive to think that people can just buy something, program it, put it in their ear, and make it work for them,” says Ashby-Scabis. “I think it is necessary to reflect on how we are going to provide follow-up. I’m not sure [over-the-counter] hearing aids are going to be as simple a solution as desired.”
She and other audiologists worry that consumers will try an over-the-counter hearing aid, find it frustrating to wear it alone, and forgo the devices altogether. “We don’t want people to think, ‘Hearing aids don’t work,’” she says.
At the community health level, hearing loss is much more than a lost conversation at the dinner table or infuriating phone calls with grandpa. Untreated hearing loss can lead to isolation, depression, anxiety, an increased risk of dementia, and an increased risk of falls.
It’s possible, audiologists suggest, that having more visible hearing aids, right next to the rotating over-the-counter reading glasses kiosk at your local drugstore, will raise awareness of hearing health while reducing negative stereotyping and shame about hearing loss.
That stigma is already changing, they say, as Bluetooth headsets and devices have become more popular; It has become normal to see people of any age with pieces of plastic in their ears.
At the very least, audiologists say, the buzz about over-the-counter hearing aids will make hearing loss less of a taboo topic. “Patients say, ‘I hate my hearing aids and I can’t live without them,’” says Ashby-Scabis. “I hope there is more awareness about the impact hearing loss has on health. I hope we will see that change in the years to come.”
—————————————————-