New OTC Hearing Aid Causes Controversy

The audiology industry has been experiencing mild conflicts after the FDA pitched the development of an over-the-counter hearing aid product segment.

Parliament had planned to have the FDA develop a space for OTC hearing aids. This means that consumers can pick up the devices in store or online with ease, eliminating the need for auditory assessments or professional sizing. However, children and those with serious auditory problems will still need a prescription.

One of the biggest benefits for consumers is the 120 dB cap and easily adjustable amplification, so people have “ample time to take appropriate action to mitigate unacceptably high sound levels.”

However, The American Academy of Audiology (AAA) said that “Individuals do not know when sound is potentially harmful and do not take action to reduce their exposure.” The main market for these products is older adults who “may have multiple comorbidities that prevent them from reducing uncomfortable or potentially damaging loud sound levels.”

This opinion contradicts that of some members of parliament and product producers. Bose, who makes audio equipment, stated that “there is no clear scientific consensus on what the maximum output limits of hearing aids should be” and elements of the calculation procedure they used to justify the 110 dB limit is “incorrect and reflects a fundamental misunderstanding.”

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