The Critical Differences Between OTC and Prescription Hearing Aids

What’s The Difference Between Over-the-counter And Prescription Hearing Aids? 

Choosing the right hearing aid can transform your quality of life, but navigating the sea of options between over-the-counter and prescription devices can feel overwhelming. Dr. Jill Copley breaks down this complex decision with clarity and expertise in our latest episode.

We start by exploring the history behind OTC hearing aids—a well-intentioned government initiative to increase hearing solution accessibility. While these devices serve adults with mild to moderate hearing loss who might hesitate at higher costs, they function primarily as simple amplification tools with basic smartphone adjustments. You'll learn why children should never use these options and always consult proper medical professionals.

The contrast with prescription hearing aids becomes clear as Dr. Copley explains their precision-programming, advanced background noise management, and automatic environmental adjustments. Beyond superior technology, the ongoing professional support makes a crucial difference. While retail staff selling OTC devices lack specialized training, audiologists provide comprehensive guidance on device usage, cleaning, positioning strategies, and continuous adjustments as your hearing needs evolve.

Most revealing is Dr. Copley's neurological perspective on hearing loss. "It's occurring in the brain," she explains, comparing it to other conditions requiring long-term medical relationships. This framing helps listeners understand why proper treatment extends beyond simply amplifying sound—it's about brain health and quality of life.

Whether you're considering your first hearing aid or wondering if your current solution is optimal, this episode delivers valuable insights to guide your decision. Ready to experience the Total Hearing Care difference? Call [phone] to schedule an appointment and take the next step toward better hearing and better living.

To learn more about Total Hearing Care visit:
https://www.TotalHearingCare.com

Total Hearing Care
Multiple Locations Across the DFW Metroplex
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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to the Total Hearing Care Difference where we
help you experience lifethrough better hearing.
Hosted by the experts at TotalHearing Care, a leading private
audiology practice serving theDFW Metroplex, we're here to
provide guidance on hearing loss, tinnitus and the latest
advancements in audiology.
Transform your life throughbetter hearing.

(00:23):
Let's get started.

Speaker 2 (00:38):
All hearing aids aren't the same.
Let's explore the keydifferences between
over-the-counter andprescription options to help you
make the right choice.
Welcome back everyone.
I'm Sofia Yvette, co-host,slash producer, back in the
studio with Dr Jill Copley.
Dr Copley, how's it going today?
Going?

Speaker 3 (00:54):
wonderful Thanks for having me back.

Speaker 2 (00:57):
Of course.
Now, dr Copley, hearing aidsare life-changing for many
people.
Hearing aids are life-changingfor many people, but choosing
the right type can feeloverwhelming.
What's the difference between?

Speaker 3 (01:12):
over-the-counter and prescription hearing aids.
So that's a great question andI want to start with a little
bit of history.
So several years ago and thiswas prior to COVID times the
government was, or Congress was,asked to come up with ideas on
how to make hearing instrumentsmore affordable, and so what

(01:33):
they came up with is takingbasically simple hearing
instruments and providing themover the counter.
So it had a lot of great ideasand they're good for some people
and not for others, and we canget into that in a second.
Prescriptive hearing aids aredifferent Now.
Prescriptive hearing aids areprobably what you think of when

(01:54):
you think of hearing instruments.
That's where you come see anaudiologist or another hearing
healthcare provider and theyactually do a hearing test and
they actually program viacomputer the hearing instruments
for you.
So it's a very exacting processand it fits your hearing loss
perfectly.
Over-the-counter does that in amore general way.

Speaker 2 (02:20):
Now let's get into the biggest differences.
What are the biggestdifferences in performance
between over-the-counter andprescription hearing aids?

Speaker 3 (02:31):
So over-the-counter devices are more like an
amplification, so they have alittle bit of controlling things
if things get too loud, butbasically they're just
amplifying.
Get too loud, but basicallythey're just amplifying.
You have control via your phonein adjusting the volume and
sometimes adjusting forbackground noise, whereas

(02:51):
prescriptive hearing aids aregoing to have your top
technology for assisting inbackground noise, assisting with
the TV, assisting with thephone, assisting in meetings,
and they're going to be able toadjust automatically.
So a lot of it has to do withthe automatic adjustment and
that way you are not having toadjust things yourself.

(03:15):
It's going to be a much highertier of technology in
prescriptive devices.

Speaker 2 (03:23):
Now, who would benefit the most from
over-the-counter hearing aidsversus a prescription one?

Speaker 3 (03:30):
So over-the-counter devices were really meant for
people that have a mild tomoderate loss.
So maybe they're noticing thatthey're missing some things, but
they're not missing everything.
Now, in our opinion,prescriptive hearing aids are
still going to help betterbecause they're more precise to
the hearing loss.
But some people with a mild tomoderate loss may not be able to

(03:55):
justify the cost, the highercost for prescriptive hearing
aids, and so they're using theseover the counter devices to
just help them in those certainsituations.
Now I want to mention, just forreference, that
over-the-counter hearinginstruments are geared towards
adults.

(04:15):
The FDA has said that childrenstill need to see an
otolaryngologist or an EMT, aswell as an audiologist.
They should not be using theover-the-counter devices.

Speaker 2 (04:30):
Now, how does professional audiology support
improve the effectiveness ofprescription hearing aids on the
flip side, that's a wonderfulquestion.

Speaker 3 (04:42):
So over-the-counter devices do not require any kind
of support.
So if you do have trouble withthem, you either have to call
the company or they alsorecommend going back to where
you bought them, which may be aplace like CVS or Best Buy, and

(05:02):
the people that work there arenot professional audiologists.
They may be trained a littlebit in how to sell these devices
, but they're not trained inreally helping you use the
devices.
So when you see an audiologistand you get prescriptive devices
, there's going to be a lot moretraining.
There's going to be training oncleaning them, how best to use

(05:23):
them.
When you're in background noise, you know, for instance, the
microphones on prescriptivehearing instruments are going to
adjust for what's behind youwhen you get into noise, and so
you want to sit or stand acertain way, you want to use the
TV in a certain way, and sothere's a lot of tips and
recommendations thataudiologists can give.

(05:45):
When you actually come in forprescriptive hearing aids and
get the appropriate counselingon how to use them best Over the
counter, you're just basicallydownloading an app and
connecting it to those devicesand then you're on your own.

(06:19):
Wow, now what about the costdifference between the two
options of devices that would beless expensive.
So you go from things like thatmight be $30 for a device and I
can tell you right now thosewill never work.
You'll be very disappointedwith those.
But you might go up tosomething that may be $1,500 or
$2,000 for two devices and thoseyou're probably going to hear

(06:43):
better with.
You know, when you havecompanies like maybe Apple or
Bose, who already have researchand development into good sound
quality, those are probablygoing to sound better to you and
be easier to use Any finalwords for us today, Dr Copley,

(07:04):
on the difference betweenover-the-counter and
prescription hearing aids.
I think what I really want tosay is it's the assistance that
you're getting with prescriptivedevices.
You're getting precision toyour hearing loss and you're
getting the assistance that youneed long-term, because hearing
loss is a neurological condition.

(07:25):
It's occurring in the brain,and so it's something that
you're going to have to betreated for long term, and so
it's just like any other kind ofdisease, like a heart disease
or dementia.
You're going to be treatingthat with your physician long
term, and that's the way weconsider hearing loss is.
It's something that'sneurological, it's going to be

(07:48):
there, and we want to help youlong term throughout your
hearing journey.

Speaker 2 (07:54):
Wow, what an important conversation today, dr
Copley.
Understanding the differencesin hearing aid options can
empower people to make the bestdecisions for their hearing
health.
Thanks again, and we'll catchyou on your next episode.
Okay, great, thank you for theconversation.
Decisions for their hearinghealth.

Speaker 3 (08:07):
Thanks again, and we'll catch you on your next
episode Okay great.

Speaker 1 (08:12):
Thank you for the conversation.
Thank you for listening to theTotal Hearing Care Difference.
If you're in the DFW Metroplexand ready to take the next step
toward better hearing, call469-218-483 to book an
appointment or visitTotalHearingCarecom, because
when you hear better, you livebetter.
See you next time.