{"id":9645,"date":"2022-11-14T16:24:54","date_gmt":"2022-11-15T00:24:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/?p=9645"},"modified":"2022-11-21T10:59:34","modified_gmt":"2022-11-21T18:59:34","slug":"over-the-counter-hearing-devices-frequently-asked-questions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/over-the-counter-hearing-devices-frequently-asked-questions\/","title":{"rendered":"Over-The-Counter Hearing Devices: Frequently Asked Questions"},"content":{"rendered":"
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On August 16, 2022, the Food and Drug Administration issued a final rule to create a new category of over-the-counter (OTC) hearing devices. Under this rule, OTC devices are now available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some answers to some common questions about OTC hearing devices.<\/p>\n\n\n

Do I need a prescription for OTC devices?<\/h2>\n\n\n

No, you can buy them without a prescription or a hearing exam.<\/p>\n\n\n

Are OTC devices for everybody?<\/h2>\n\n\n

OTC devices are only for adults ages 18 and older with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss. If you have severe hearing loss or are under age 18, you will need prescription hearing devices.<\/p>\n\n\n

Are OTC devices the same as prescription devices?<\/h2>\n\n\n

One significant difference is that OTC devices will be self-fitting, so you must adjust the device settings yourself.1<\/sup> In contrast, prescription hearing devices are custom fit by a hearing professional to provide the right amplification levels for your unique hearing profile.<\/p>\n\n\n

Is it okay to skip my hearing evaluation and buy OTC devices?<\/h2>\n\n\n

Hearing loss can change gradually over time, so getting a hearing evaluation before purchasing any hearing device is always a good idea, especially since OTC devices are only for certain types of hearing loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Skipping a hearing evaluation also means that your audiologist won\u2019t get a chance to check for any serious underlying medical issues causing your hearing loss, which could have long-term consequences for your health.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bottom line? With OTC hearing devices, you\u2019re on your own to make them work for you; with prescription hearing devices, you get comprehensive medical care and fitting expertise to help you hear your best. Have questions? We\u2019re here to help\u2014talk to our team today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. (2022). Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids. https:\/\/www.nidcd.nih.gov\/health\/over-counter-hearing-aids<\/a> 2 Food and Drug Administration. (2022). FDA Finalizes Historic Rule Enabling Access to Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids for Millions of Americans. https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/news-events\/press-announcements\/fda-finalizes-historic-rule-enabling-access-over-counter-hearing-aids-millions-americans<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On August 16, 2022, the Food and Drug Administration issued a final rule to create a new category of over-the-counter (OTC) hearing devices. Under this rule, OTC devices are now available. Here are some answers to some common questions about OTC hearing devices. Do I need a prescription for OTC devices? No, you can buy…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","schema":"","fname":"","lname":"","position":"","credentials":"","placeID":"","no_match":false,"name":"","company":"","review":"","address":"","city":"","state":"","zip":"","lat":"","lng":"","phone1":"","phone2":"","fax":"","mon1":"","mon2":"","tue1":"","tue2":"","wed1":"","wed2":"","thu1":"","thu2":"","fri1":"","fri2":"","sat1":"","sat2":"","sun1":"","sun2":"","hours-note":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9645"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9645"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9645\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9668,"href":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9645\/revisions\/9668"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9645"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9645"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9645"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}