OTC hearing aids

   / OTC hearing aids #21  
Looked into this for my parents. Costco is made by the same company that makes Phonak. Cheaper cost as well. The folks in the store seemed pretty knowledgeable as well. Consumer Reports also lists them as the best hearing aids on the market.
Phonak has served me well. The second pair I got in February 2020 do not have replaceable batteries and has Bluetooth and that's been mind saving during the pandemic.

I have some $50 Bone conduction headsets for using around the house and tractor work.
 
   / OTC hearing aids #22  
The old adage, you get what you pay for... Phonak is a leading brand most certainly. The OTC hearing aids are like not the real deal for serious hearing loss.
The VA supplies Phonak brand. I'm on my third set of Phonaks. Over the decades, technology has changed them dramatically.

If you are serious about hearing recovery..... You will never recover what you lost. Your hearing will continue to deteriorate. If you are new to hearing aid inquiry and shopping.... Go to a REAL ear nose throat doctor and have a complete hearing and ear examination. Take your results and shop. IN the the private sector,
Costco is going to most likely be your best bang for the dollar. But other things come in to play like location of them and your convenience or inconvenience to have them cleaned, programed, tuned up or repaired.

OTC stuff is amateur hearing fix at best.
 
   / OTC hearing aids #23  
Not really first hand but my daughter had had monaural hearing loss since somewhere between ages 2 and 4. She is 24 now. The type of hearing aids available over the counter can do nothing. Amplifying static is just louder noise. Essentially, what the doctors use in her situation picks up the sound entering her bad ear and 'plays' it in her good ear.

Oddly enough, my wife developed monaural loss in the opposite ear a few years ago. Her situation was completely different and more consistent with age related issues. She was able to use some cheap $75 amplifier from Amazon. Last year she was getting ready to retire and used up her deductible and max out of pocket. So, she talked to the doctor and they did some sort of surgery on the bones in her ear. It took a few months for the ear to recover, but she can hear better now and doesn't need an aid.

The short answer is check with a medical professional. You might get help from a cheap amplifier, but you may need something else.
 
   / OTC hearing aids #24  
What brand / model of Over-the-counter hearing aid(s) have you bought?
Likes? (other than comfort to wear, that's going to be user specific)
Dislikes?
Price?
Would you buy the same ones again?
I love my Neosonic 10w ones. Bought 2 sets of necklace and mic because the TV mic only lasts 10 hours vs. 20 hours for the necklace. The TV mic is great for listening to the TV, computer or telephone. Just place it underneath or beside these, and select 2nd setting on the necklace. Uses ear buds, which are MUCH more comfortable than hearing aids that jam into the hearing canal.
 
   / OTC hearing aids #25  
Just got a Luxato model with separate gain controls for each ear (similar to the Neosonic 20w). They work better for me than any of the three expensive models I have owned and the many OTC units I have had. I have used the remote microphone with the TV and was able to keep the volume at the level the wife uses.
 
 
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