Following the approval of certain wireless headsets for use as an over-the-counter hearing aid, there has been a much wider discussion about hearing loss, its wider effects and the ways in which technology can help reduce the long-term effects.
There are a lot of positives to the updated UK government guidance for hearing aids which will not only benefit manufacturers of consumer-grade headphones by giving them an added feature but could have a consequential benefit for prescription hearing aids as well.
However, they are a starting point at best, and most people with hearing loss will require specially designed hearing aids, with the best ones available from a private specialist provider.
Here are some examples of when over-the-counter hearing aids can help, when they cannot and what you should do if you want to ensure that you have the most comfortable, effective and long-term solution for hearing loss.
OTC hearing aids, such as those found in more recent AirPods and other similar wireless headphones, are best seen as a form of consumer wellness technology, similar to a fitness tracker.
They can help with minor hearing loss, and the audiology tests they run are useful for determining if there is a potential problem and whether it is worth asking your GP or consulting with an audiologist.
In the United States, where OTC hearing aids were first developed and approved, hearing tests are never included in typical wellness tests unless a person specifically requests them. Even then, many health insurance plans such as Medicare do not cover hearing aids.
It can provide some benefits, and because many earphones with an OTC hearing aid feature are ubiquitous, they look inconspicuous despite typically not being discreet.
They can also be useful to undertake additional tests following a clinical examination, as hearing loss can sometimes vary depending on the time of day or on different days.
Ultimately, any automated test is going to be inherently limited by the fact that it is not taking place in a controlled environment with medical professionals.
Hearing test apps are notoriously unreliable because they cannot account for loud environmental noise, they cannot tell if there is another reason for hearing difficulties such as impacted earwax, and they do not know if the earbuds have been fitted properly in your ear.
All of these elements can significantly affect the result of a hearing test, and they are accounted for by an audiologist during professional examinations.
It can sometimes end up becoming a form of false economy if someone tries several OTC devices thinking that the issue is the headphones when in reality they have more severe hearing loss than they thought they did and require a prescription solution.
Over-the-counter hearing aids can help with mild forms of hearing loss, as well as just making it easier to hear in loud rooms in general, but if you have any doubts or questions about the results of their hearing tests, get in touch with an audiologist for a professional examination and bespoke hearing aids sculpted around your needs.
