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

npr.org

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

#41

Post by ygjb »

the__alchemist wrote: post #11

Great news. I've been learning about and implementing real-time DSP algorithms for audio enhancement. (Cortex-M7) I started this hoping to make scifi headphone that enhance hearing for normal people with different presets, but realized what I'm essentially building is more like a hearing aid. Didn't even realize the regularly issue. (Although using the article's terminology, could probably already market this as a PS…

Check out nuraphones; I don't know enough about hearing and audio to know what voodoo they are doing, but as a person with significant hearing loss, the hearing customization they perform during set up allows the device to emit the right frequencies at the right volume that I can hear a significant portion of the left audio channel (which is impressive, given that I am "profoundly deaf" in that ear).

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

#42

Post by weaksauce »

kristofferR wrote: post #7

Contact lenses next? It's amazingly stupid that I, as a tourist, who knows exactly what types of contacts I need, may need to get a US prescription for contacts.

if you have an address for any length of time you could use a service like coastal.com as when I bought mine I am pretty sure they didn't ask for a formal prescription. I only have experience with them but maybe others like warby parker or the like are similar?

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

#43

Post by cf100clunk »

ghostly_s wrote: post #28
cf100clunk wrote: post #4

What about building one's own hearing aid? This DIY project came to mind: https://hackaday.com/2013/12/15/diy-hearing-aid/ No mention of DIY hearing aids from the FDA.

Because there aren't any FDA regulations preventing you from building a DIY hearing aid?

But there are batteries (pun intended) of lawyers from the hearing aid manufacturers who would act against DIY kit vendors if asked. I wonder who/what is the best entity to help shield DIYers from patents...

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

#44

Post by Jemaclus »

noja wrote: post #23
kiba wrote: post #5

Some feature requests for hearing aid: Can we get hearing aids that are bigger? These small hearing aids make it easier to lose, and I do not mind looking "disabled" to people. Also would like to use bluetooth to both locate the hearing aids, and to connect to devices as needed. Would be cool if the battery can be recharged as needed, maybe through usb-c if possible, but magnetic charging would be acceptable.

Two questions if you don't mind: Do you charge one ear at a time so you are never without some level of hearing? Can you comment on the Live Listen feature of AirPods?

I'm profoundly deaf, and I can answer these questions for myself:

> Do you charge on ear at a time so you are never without some level of hearing?

I'm completely deaf in one ear, so I only wear one hearing aid. If I take it out, I have zero hearing, so... nope.

Most hearing aids do not have rechargeable batteries, either, so we have to change out the batteries on a regular basis. My battery lasts about 7-10 days before I need to replace them.

> Can you comment on the Live Listen feature of AirPods?

It's not powerful enough to act as a hearing aid for my level of hearing loss, nor is it calibrated correctly.

To that last point, hearing loss is not simply a lowering of volume. It impacts different frequencies at different levels, so the normal amplification that comes from an AirPod or similar headphone is not sufficient to compensate for anything other than very very mild hearing loss.

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

#45

Post by hellbannedguy »

tshaddox wrote: post #26
kristofferR wrote: post #7

Contact lenses next? It's amazingly stupid that I, as a tourist, who knows exactly what types of contacts I need, may need to get a US prescription for contacts.

Is this really a problem in practice? I've always had a valid prescription when I buy glasses, but at the glasses store I just flash them the prescription on my phone for a few seconds. It's a PDF on official looking letterhead, but I don't think there's any verification. I suppose it's probably not the best idea to fake an eyeglass prescription, but it certainly seems like it would be very easy to do.

Thanks! I have been thinking about this route.

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

#46

Post by weaksauce »

bckygldstn wrote: post #38
tshaddox wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is this really a problem in practice? I've always had a valid prescription when I buy glasses, but at the glasses store I just flash them the prescription on my phone for a few seconds. It's a PDF on official looking letterhead, but I don't think there's any verification. I suppose it's probably not the best idea to fake an eyeglass prescription, but it certainly seems like it would be very easy to do.

* I had an optometrist only give me a prescription for glasses, even though I indicated I wear contact lenses on my intake form and was wearing them at the appointment! When I realised a few days later after being denied trying to buy contacts with a glasses prescription, the optometrist said I would have to come in again and pay for a full consultation (out of pocket as my insurance only covers one per year). * I've…

i'm pretty sure us based online don't require a formal verification... i only have experience with coastal though and only for glasses.

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

#47

Post by bckygldstn »

kristofferR wrote: post #7

Contact lenses next? It's amazingly stupid that I, as a tourist, who knows exactly what types of contacts I need, may need to get a US prescription for contacts.

For the commenters asking: this applies to contact lenses, not eye glasses.

From the Contact Lens Rule [1]: "a contact lens seller cannot provide contact lenses to its customer unless the seller either obtains a copy of the prescription or verifies the prescription information with the prescriber"

The Eyeglass Rule [2] doesn't contain this stipulation.

https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/rules/rulemaking-regulatory-...

https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/rules/rulemaking-regulatory-...

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

#48

Post by bckygldstn »

weaksauce wrote: post #46
bckygldstn wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

* I had an optometrist only give me a prescription for glasses, even though I indicated I wear contact lenses on my intake form and was wearing them at the appointment! When I realised a few days later after being denied trying to buy contacts with a glasses prescription, the optometrist said I would have to come in again and pay for a full consultation (out of pocket as my insurance only covers one per year). * I've…

i'm pretty sure us based online don't require a formal verification... i only have experience with coastal though and only for glasses.

The law only applies to contact lenses, not glasses.

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

#49

Post by Jemaclus »

kiba wrote: post #5

Some feature requests for hearing aid: Can we get hearing aids that are bigger? These small hearing aids make it easier to lose, and I do not mind looking "disabled" to people. Also would like to use bluetooth to both locate the hearing aids, and to connect to devices as needed. Would be cool if the battery can be recharged as needed, maybe through usb-c if possible, but magnetic charging would be acceptable.

I have a BlueTooth-enabled hearing aid (ReSound Linq) that connects directly to my iPhone. It's a life-changing feature. It also has some capability to find hearing aids, but since I'm profoundly deaf and not wearing my hearing aid means I'm functionally completely deaf, then it's either in my ear or on my nightstand, so I've never had the problem of "where did my hearing aid go?"

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

#50

Post by 14 »

kiba wrote: post #5

Some feature requests for hearing aid: Can we get hearing aids that are bigger? These small hearing aids make it easier to lose, and I do not mind looking "disabled" to people. Also would like to use bluetooth to both locate the hearing aids, and to connect to devices as needed. Would be cool if the battery can be recharged as needed, maybe through usb-c if possible, but magnetic charging would be acceptable.

Then you are in luck if looks don’t matter just glue a couple air tags to them and be done.
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