Hearing aids can officially be sold over the counter starting October 17 and you don't even need to see a doctor. It's a move to make them more affordable, potentially improving hearing loss for more people who otherwise can't afford the costs — but hearing specialists do have a few warnings.
The FDA estimates nearly 30 million adults could benefit from a hearing aid but only one-fifth of them use the devices.
Cost causes a lot of people to tune out — hearing aids can cost thousands of dollars and be not covered by insurance. That's what the new FDA approval of over-the-counter hearing aids aims to fix.
"With having better access to hearing technology, which I think is fantastic," said Kory Castro, a hearing instrument specialist at Beltone West. He says this is a game-changer for people with mild to moderate hearing loss, like those who really have to lean in to hear in crowded places, like restaurants.
He warns you still need to be careful not to amplify the problem when choosing your own device.
"One thing I always tell patients is volume does not equal clarity," said Castro, who points out a specialist will fit and adjust hearing aids based on your type of sound loss, differentiating between noise and speech. They also look for health issues that may be linked to your hearing loss, like Alzheimer's. Castro suggests a dual approach, starting by taking advantage of free screenings, getting their advice, and going from there.
"I think it's creating a new stepping stone to get help for themselves," he said.
Beltone West has a free online hearing test here.