Over-the-counter hearing devices promise a quick solution to hearing loss, but they lack the precision and personalized care that traditional hearing aids provide.
The reality is that treating hearing loss is a science – one that starts with determining which frequencies you’re having trouble hearing. One study found that 73% of participants picked the wrong aid based on their audiogram.
As a Hearing Instrument Specialist with 32 years of experience, Tricia Leagjeld knows that properly programmed hearing aids based on comprehensive testing make all the difference. Your hearing aids are only effective if they’re programmed to your specific hearing loss.
Why Did the FDA Approve Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids?
While OTC hearing devices entered the market as a lower-cost option for mild hearing loss, they fundamentally differ from traditional hearing aids in crucial ways:
- No Professional Testing: OTC devices skip the comprehensive hearing evaluation that identifies your specific type and levels of hearing loss
- Generic Programming: Unlike traditional aids programmed to your audiogram, OTC devices offer one-size-fits-all settings
- Limited Technology: They lack advanced features like artificial intelligence for background noise management, tinnitus relief programs, or smart device connectivity
- No Real Ear Measurement: Professional fittings include verification of proper amplification—something impossible with OTC devices
- Missing Ongoing Support: You don’t get the cleaning and checks, adjustments, and repairs that come with professional hearing care
According to one study, almost 86% of Americans 50 and older with hearing loss do not wear hearing aids.
While increased access to hearing solutions seems positive, OTC devices can’t address the serious health effects linked to untreated hearing loss—including cognitive decline, depression, and social isolation—the way properly fitted traditional hearing aids can.
The National Institutes of Health recommends prescription hearing aids for people who do not hear louder sounds or struggle to hear conversations in quiet settings.
Additionally, the following groups should always receive prescription hearing aids:
- Children younger than 18
- Adults with dementia
- People who experience sudden hearing loss, a big difference between one ear and the other, or tinnitus in one ear, which are potential signs of a medical problem
Why Professional Hearing Care Makes the Difference
At Hearing Aids By Tricia Leagjeld, we understand that hearing aids are more than simply small speakers that amplify sound.
Our comprehensive approach includes:
- In-office hearing tests in our sound booth to fully identify your specific type and levels of hearing loss
- Professional fitting sessions (approximately one hour), ensuring the best quality sound and a comfortable fit for all-day wear
- Real Ear Measurement to verify proper amplification using a device inserted into your ear canal
- Customized programming based on your hearing test results, with adjustments for quiet and noisy environments
- Remote programming options for convenient follow-up adjustments
Tricia walks clients through the latest hearing technology—from waterproof aids to advanced noise cancellation—ensuring you get the features that match your lifestyle.
Our hearing tests can also uncover whether your hearing loss signals a more serious medical condition requiring immediate attention.
Your hearing changes over time. With traditional hearing aids from our practice, you receive ongoing support including clean and checks, multiple fittings, and adjustments as your brain adapts to better hearing.
Bottom line: We’re not happy unless you are—that’s why we work with you to find and adjust your hearing solution until it’s perfect. You’re not alone.
The Hidden Costs of Going It Alone
OTC hearing devices may seem convenient, but consider what you’re missing:
- Risk of further damage: Without professional guidance, improper amplification levels could worsen your hearing
- No earwax management: Built-up wax—a common cause of hearing problems—goes unaddressed
- Missing the latest technology: Access to top brands like Oticon, ReSound, Phonak, and others with features like health tracking and tinnitus relief
- No repair services: When OTC devices break, you’re on your own
Most critically, OTC devices can’t identify whether your hearing loss stems from treatable conditions or signals serious health issues requiring immediate care.
Hearing Aids Are the Start of the Journey
Life is short. It’s time to turn up the volume and enjoy all the benefits of better hearing, but that requires more than a one-size-fits-all device.
When you choose traditional hearing aids through Hearing Aids By Tricia Leagjeld, you’re investing in:
- A Hearing Instrument Specialist with 23 years of caring and professional experience
- A family tradition of hearing healthcare dating back to 1955
- Comprehensive care that addresses not just your hearing, but your overall health and well-being
Just because you can get a device over the counter doesn’t mean you should attempt to treat your hearing loss on your own. Your hearing—and your health—deserve professional care.
The Bottom Line
Untreated hearing loss is not only a nuisance: it can seriously impact cognitive function later in life. Since they are more widely available, OTC hearing aids allow individuals with mild symptoms to get an early start on treatment. They also help people understand how drastically hearing loss affects their life. After seeing what an OTC hearing aid can do, individuals with hearing loss may be more inclined to seek a prescription should their symptoms progress.
