Buying over-the-counter hearing aids not as good as it sounds, Canadian expert warns

Weighing the risk of over-the-counter hearing aids Audiologist Dr. Marshall Chasin speaks to CTV's Your Morning about the potential risk of over-the-counter hearing aids available in the U.S.

Americans can now purchase over-the-counter hearing aids at common retailers as part of a recent rule change from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Designed for adults with mild to moderate hearing problems, the cheaper devices can be purchased without a medical exam or prescription.

However, one Canadian hearing specialist is flagging a potential issue with the over-the-counter products.

"And so we don't have that verification to ensure both that the hearing sound or music is loud enough, but also more importantly not too loud," Dr. Marshall Chasin, an audiologist and editor-in-chief of the journal Canadian Audiologist, told CTV's Your Morning on Monday.

"We don't want the device to cause future hearing loss because it's too loud, so we want to verify that."

The U.S. hopes to increase competition and lower costs with over-the-counter hearing aids, which can be sold online, at pharmacies or other retail stores.

"So if you do an end-run around the audiologist and go the more retail route, you may do very well don't get me wrong, but you don't have that (verification) stage," Chasin said.

The FDA estimates that nearly 30 million adults could benefit from a hearing aid but only about one-fifth of people with hearing problems use one.

Americans can pay more than US$5,000 for a hearing aid and fitting, with insurance coverage limited and Medicare only covering diagnostic tests.

In Canada, the price of a basic hearing aid can start at around $1,000, while models with advanced features can cost thousands more.

Statistics Canada reported in October 2021 that 38 per cent of adults aged 20 to 79 had hearing loss.

Watch the full interview with Dr. Marshall Chasin at the top of the article. With files from The Associated Press.