Conventional and OTC Hearing Aids Offer Similar Benefits

Over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aid devices were found to have similar benefits like conventional hearing aid and less than 20 percent of adults use hearing aid, in the U.S.

Over-the-counter (OTC) hearing devices which are less-expensive were compared with conventional hearing aids. Researchers found that the OTC devices were associated with improvements in hearing similar to that of conventional hearing aids, reveals a new study published by JAMA.

Presently, hearing aids can only be purchased in the United States through a licensed professional, with an average cost of $4,700 for two hearing aids (uncovered by Medicare).

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‘U.S national initiatives have requested the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to create a new regulatory classification for hearing devices and to make them available over the counter.’

According to nationally representative estimates, less than 20 percent of adults with hearing loss report hearing aid use.

Personal sound amplification products (PSAPs) are less-expensive, over-the-counter devices not specifically labeled for hearing loss treatment, but some are technologically comparable with hearing aids and may be appropriate for mild to moderate hearing loss.

Nicholas S. Reed, Au.D., of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, and colleagues compared five of these devices (costs, approximately $350 to $30) with a conventional hearing aid (cost, $1,910) among 42 adults (average age, 72 years) with mild to moderate hearing loss.

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The researchers found that the change in accuracy in speech understanding from unaided to aided varied by device.

Three of the PSAPs were associated with improvements in speech understanding that were similar to results obtained with the hearing aid; one demonstrated little improvement; and speech understanding was worse with one PSAP.

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"Results lend support to current national initiatives from the National Academies, White House, and bipartisan legislation requesting that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration create a new regulatory classification for hearing devices meeting appropriate specifications to be available over the counter," the authors write.

A limitation of the study was the modest number of participants.

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Source-Eurekalert