Looking for pros/cons experiences w/ OTC hearing aids for news article

@garyguthrie

Click on my name Julieo4 in my post. It should come up with a blue icon that says 'personal message'.

Not sure how much help I can provide. The link I had in my post is from Hearing Tracker. I have profound hearing loss. OTC hearing aids would not work for me so I have no experience with them.

I will be interested to hear how those ear molds work for you. Creating custom fit ear molds requires fitting skill similar to creating dental inlays. They have to be exact to be comfortable. There is no question in my mind that they are a better choice than the insertable domes that are so popular now with OTC and even with professionally fit hearing aids. Those domes do not require the skill needed to create custom ear molds. However, the advent of domes has made the OTC movement possible.

As stated in a different post, my hearing loss is profound so OTC products are not going to work for me. However, I know enough about them to realize that many of the OTC products available now are similar to the hearing instruments I was fit with back in the 1970s. In the early stages of progressive hearing loss those aids were helpful as they amplified speech I struggled to hear. They did not clarify it though. Today's more sophisticated products can be adjusted to help with clarification but in places where background noise is prevalent, they still function as 'aids' rather than solutions.

The key to hearing in noisy environments remains by using add on technology that brings the desired sound direct to a person's hearing instruments. Kind of like 'binoculars for the ears'. That is why BlueTooth and telecoils can make such a positive difference in settings where they work. It keeps getting better, but we are not there yet!

NOTE: I love using my 'mini mic' in social settings. Not perfect, but it helps a lot. It's best when it's close to the speaker I want to hear and that isn't always possible. Getting the desired sound close to the microphone is key. Obviously, this 'shows' when you use it. Unfortunately, that is a barrier to a lot of people who could benefit from this technology. It's time to stop pushing 'invisibility' and do more to promote better hearing. 🙂

I also have profound hearing loss and my audiologist has let me demo Oticon, Starkey and now the Signia AX platform. Signia is the most affordable because of my Humana Gold Plus Medicare plan. It enables me to buy two top of the line Signia hearing aids for $2,000. I am waiting for Signia’s IX platform to become available under my plan.
That being said they still have their drawbacks. If any out there with profound hearing loss has found a better hearing aid let me know. You can’t put a price on hearing better.
OTC hearing aids might work for mild hearing loss but I believe you need higher end hearing as your hearing diminishes.
Does anyone know of any positive human trials using stem cells to regrow the hairs in our ears. That will be the true game changer.

Julie, I don't have those privileges, yet, but that's ok.
Do you mind if I use part of the text below as a comment in my story about OTCs?

"As stated in a different post, my hearing loss is profound so OTC products are not going to work for me. However, I know enough about them to realize that many of the OTC products available now are similar to the hearing instruments I was fit with back in the 1970s. In the early stages of progressive hearing loss those aids were helpful as they amplified speech I struggled to hear. They did not clarify it though. Today's more sophisticated products can be adjusted to help with clarification but in places where background noise is prevalent, they still function as 'aids' rather than solutions.

The key to hearing in noisy environments remains by using add on technology that brings the desired sound direct to a person's hearing instruments. Kind of like 'binoculars for the ears'. That is why BlueTooth and telecoils can make such a positive difference in settings where they work. It keeps getting better, but we are not there yet!"

I would attribute it to "Julie, Volunteer Mentor on MayoClinic.com's Hearing Loss discussion group"

I had (at first) hearing loss in my right ear with mild tinnitus, after surgery related to salivary duct cancer. I used OTC hearing aids to not only hear better but to hopefully reduce the noise from the tinnitus. The hearing aids did amplify sound but I found without controls I couldn’t wear them for long because there was just too much noise coming at me from one side. It amplified all sounds. Otc may work better if the loss of hearing is both sides and then maybe the balance works.

With fitted hearing aids with Bluetooth control it’s been better but not perfect.

That is OK. Julie Olson Julieo4 I would appreciate receiving a copy of the article you write.

@daveshaw You are definitely trying good products. I have benefitted from Widex hearing aids for several years. I'm bimodal with a cochlear implant and hearing aid. Unfortunately, the Widex does not sync with my Cochlear processor. I will be getting a ReSound that does in the near future. Meanwhile, when I want/need binaural hearing with technology I use the telecoils with a neckloop that I can plug into audio devices, a very simple solution.

Stem cells will surely be a game changer when they can do the trick. From all the research I'm aware of it's going to be a long time coming. Thankful though, that it's a work in progress. It wasn't all that long ago that people were being told 'Nothing will ever be done to cure hearing loss'.

You might want to follow the research being done by The Hearing Health Foundation. wwwhhf.org

Cochlear implants have come so far in the last decade. I received mine in 2005. It has made a miraculous change in my life. I am so glad I did it then instead of waiting in hopes something better might come along. I'd still be waiting 19 years later.

Have you considered getting a cochlear implant?

That's years away in the future.
Maybe not in my lifetime.

Will certainly do!

Has anyone tried Horizon IX at hear.com. I continually see their ads.