When it comes to hearing aids, you’ll often hear (or read) us telling you that prescription devices are better; with a prescription device, you’ll be able to adjust the device to what you specifically need for your unique hearing loss challenges, and they’ll be custom molded to your ears. 

However, that’s not to say that over-the-counter (OTC) devices aren’t practical either! 

As of writing this, the FDA finalizing legislation for OTC hearing aids is still fairly new. Any time that the public is talking about the ear and taking care of their hearing, we’ll take it as a good sign. 

As hearing aid specialists and enthusiasts, we’ve been playing with the technology ourselves, testing the capabilities of OTC devices in our clinics—and they’re a viable option for many people with mild hearing loss. So, if you’ve ever walked in to find us slamming doors and talking loudly to each other, that would be why! 

OTC hearing aids aren’t actually terrible in comparison to prescription hearing aids. Surprising, right? But it’s true—for milder hearing loss challenges, OTC devices can provide quite a boost to your hearing on a budget.  

For instance, we had a patient come once who needed a solution for a hearing loss challenge in just one ear. We recommended an OTC device for her mild hearing loss challenge, and it worked a treat, save for the awkward fitting in her ear. She did eventually swap to a prescription device due to a need for a more secure fit, but the OTC device worked just as well for helping with her hearing loss. 

For some individuals, an OTC hearing aid is all they need—similar to reading glasses, OTC hearing aids are preset to help those with mild hearing losses that sometimes don’t need a full prescription to alleviate them.  

But for some, a more personalized solution is necessary. If you’ve tried OTC hearing aids and found that they weren’t as strong as you needed them to be, perhaps a prescription option would work best for you and your unique hearing needs. 

OTC hearing aids have generated a lot of conversation about hearing care that we find incredibly beneficial; the more people talking about testing their hearing and hearing aids, the better. We hope to see a day where visiting your friendly neighborhood audiologist is as normalized as a trip to the dentist. 

Of course, deciding between an OTC device and an advanced prescription hearing aid starts in the same place: at the clinic, getting a hearing test. We have a variety of options for potential devices for you, from our selection of OTC hearing aids to the premium prescription options. 

We’re here to help, every step of the way.  

Concerned About Your Hearing? 

Whether you have a mild hearing loss challenge or a more profound one, we’re certain that we have the device that you need to help you rejoin the conversations you’ve been missing.