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The FDA wants you to be able to buy a hearing aid without a prescription

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Re: The FDA wants you to be able to buy a hearing aid without a prescription

#221

Post by ddlutz »

slownews45 wrote: post #181

Fantastic news. If you can afford the $5,000 - great! The current system works for you. 80% of people cannot and so are stuck. For folks with mild/moderate loss (where a LOT of people don't get help) something as simple as letting Apple tweak noise cancellation to be voice enhancing and providing a tuning and hearing test app in the iphone would be a godsend. The elderly miss out on a lot of family life because of he…

This is me. 28, had mild hearing loss for about 3 years now in one ear due to a bad ear infection. I can get by fine, however I'm definitely missing out on a lot of "richness" of sound. I can't hear high pitched noises, or subtle differences between noises in my left ear at all. And everything in general is a little muted. Since I can hear perfectly find out of my right ear I'm not convinced spending thousands of dollars is worth it.

I would spend $10,000+ if my tinnitus could be cured permanently though.

Re: The FDA wants you to be able to buy a hearing aid without a prescription

#222

Post by falcolas »

kevin_thibedeau wrote: post #19
TylerE wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

An improperly tuned hearing aid can make your hearing worse though...actively causing further damage.

We really need prescriptions for headphones to save people from themselves.

Pointed out in a grandchild comment, but it's basically happening now. Phones will limit noise exposure from headphones, based on NOIA and similar standards.

Re: The FDA wants you to be able to buy a hearing aid without a prescription

#223

Post by eurleif »

falcolas wrote: post #213
slownews45 wrote: post #181

Fantastic news. If you can afford the $5,000 - great! The current system works for you. 80% of people cannot and so are stuck. For folks with mild/moderate loss (where a LOT of people don't get help) something as simple as letting Apple tweak noise cancellation to be voice enhancing and providing a tuning and hearing test app in the iphone would be a godsend. The elderly miss out on a lot of family life because of he…

FWIW, there is a nuanced difference between hearing aids and iPods. Hearing aids basically apply a hearing-capability matched EQ to the incoming sound. Why this matters: Hearing loss is not uniform across frequencies, and we use huge portions of the spectrum for different functions (truck backup beepers vs. car engine noises, both used to identify what's coming your way).

Samsung phones have a feature that tests your hearing at different frequencies, creates a personalized EQ profile, and applies it to your earbuds: https://www.samsung.com/au/support/mobile-devices/customise-...

Re: The FDA wants you to be able to buy a hearing aid without a prescription

#224

Post by balls187 »

JCM9 wrote: post #55

There are a number of healthcare areas in the US that have been protected by regulation, but it’s increasingly unclear if this is good for patients, consumers, or public health at large. The increasing sentiment seems to be probably not. Vision care is another area I’d expect to see more changes and disruption coming down the pipeline. Vision care is very important and advanced cases require special skills, but it’s…

> The US requires one to see a “doctor of optometry” to get a basic single vision prescription.

You can take virtual eye exams, which are reviewed by doctors to issue a prescription.

The real issue isn't the basic care of glasses, instead it's the screening of your eye health.

When you go to Urgent Care, say for a laceration, they do a quick work up, including taking your temp, blood pressure, blood o2, weight and height.

Having your eyes checked out in person with a comprehensive eye exam annually is a good habit. And tying it renewing an Rx for Contacts / Glasses just makes it easier to do.

Re: The FDA wants you to be able to buy a hearing aid without a prescription

#225

Post by slownews45 »

falcolas wrote: post #213
slownews45 wrote: post #181

Fantastic news. If you can afford the $5,000 - great! The current system works for you. 80% of people cannot and so are stuck. For folks with mild/moderate loss (where a LOT of people don't get help) something as simple as letting Apple tweak noise cancellation to be voice enhancing and providing a tuning and hearing test app in the iphone would be a godsend. The elderly miss out on a lot of family life because of he…

FWIW, there is a nuanced difference between hearing aids and iPods. Hearing aids basically apply a hearing-capability matched EQ to the incoming sound. Why this matters: Hearing loss is not uniform across frequencies, and we use huge portions of the spectrum for different functions (truck backup beepers vs. car engine noises, both used to identify what's coming your way).

And you are CERTAIN that the iphone could not

a) conduct a hearing test

b) do a hearing based EQ on incoming sound?

c) do sound profiles (ie, optimize for speech?)

Realize that calling already may use some of this - using microphones to pick out speech from background noise etc.

For folks who have hearing issues you could have one device that would cover your movie watching, your phone calls, and hearing enhancement. For $180.

Re: The FDA wants you to be able to buy a hearing aid without a prescription

#226

Post by adolph »

handrous wrote: post #173
otabdeveloper4 wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not in the US; when I got my latest pair of glasses they just used a ruler. It works fine. (Yes, I'm exactly one of those people sensitive to "minute variations".)

I used the "ruler on a mirror, open one eye, center it on the end of the ruler, close it and open the other eye, mark where the center is on the ruler, then read the measurement (in mm)" method. Did it a few times to be sure, exact same results every time, just have to keep your head still and geometry does the work for you. Glasses made using that measurement have been entirely fine, no problems.

Worked for me too. Had my PD measured afterwards and device value was same as mirror method.

Re: The FDA wants you to be able to buy a hearing aid without a prescription

#227

Post by jrace »

germinalphrase wrote: post #214
jrace wrote: post #128

How much would you pay for: *Hearing test * Hearing aid fitting * Usage counselling * Follow up adjustments * Annual retest of your hearing * Replacement of lost hearing aids * Unlimited repair for 3 years ?? ====== I got out of the Audiology field in 2015. At that time all the above was included for every hearing aid we sold (Prices varied from $750 / ear - $3600 / ear. When I was in that field many companies tried…

“ Sadly, most people wait too long before trying a hearing aid, and give up because they hear too much noise.” Are you suggesting that getting hearing aids preserves your hearing or simply that people with advanced hearing loss benefit less from them?

Hearing aids allow you - rather enable you - to listen again. Without them your understanding and comprehension gets lazy.

Imagine if you stopped playing basketball because of a bad knee.

Then years later you get a knee brace and are able to play again.

How long, and how much practice would you need before you could play at the level you were at before the knee problem?

And without properly fixing the problem (just using a mobility aid) could you ever return to pre-knee problem levels?

Re: The FDA wants you to be able to buy a hearing aid without a prescription

#228

Post by falcolas »

jjk166 wrote: post #188

> Prescription device means a device that, because of its potential for harm, the method of its use or the collateral measures necessary to its use, is not safe except under the supervision of a practitioner licensed in this state to direct the use of such device and for which "adequate directions for use" cannot be prepared How were these ever prescription devices to begin with?

Improperly tuned, they will damage your hearing - a permanent effect.

Re: The FDA wants you to be able to buy a hearing aid without a prescription

#229

Post by balls187 »

mbg721 wrote: post #87
dsizzle wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not sure why vision checks require a doctor at all. In the end, they're just relying on your responses anyway: "What's better: A or B"? In fact, I'd go further and say it doesn't even require another person. I, for one, am glad to see this bill.

Vision checks have also changed a lot in the last five years or so. I have a pretty strong prescription and always used to do rounds of reading charts and "A or B", and now there's a machine that scans my eyes and gets it very close to right, with an adjustment or two at the end.

They can now check ocular pressure without the puff!

Re: The FDA wants you to be able to buy a hearing aid without a prescription

#230

Post by RHSeeger »

falcolas wrote: post #213
slownews45 wrote: post #181

Fantastic news. If you can afford the $5,000 - great! The current system works for you. 80% of people cannot and so are stuck. For folks with mild/moderate loss (where a LOT of people don't get help) something as simple as letting Apple tweak noise cancellation to be voice enhancing and providing a tuning and hearing test app in the iphone would be a godsend. The elderly miss out on a lot of family life because of he…

FWIW, there is a nuanced difference between hearing aids and iPods. Hearing aids basically apply a hearing-capability matched EQ to the incoming sound. Why this matters: Hearing loss is not uniform across frequencies, and we use huge portions of the spectrum for different functions (truck backup beepers vs. car engine noises, both used to identify what's coming your way).

I had some trauma induced hearing loss recently and cannot hear certain frequencies at all with my left ear. When I stand outside next to the (small) waterfall with it on my left size, I can hear "part" of it from my left ear... and the other part as if it was coming from the woods on the right side. It passes right by my left ear w/o me hearing it, bounces off the woods, and comes back to me. It sounds like there's 2 different waterfalls, one on each side of me.
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