How Do You Treat a Hearing Loss? A Comprehensive Guide

Hearing loss affects one in eight Americans, and the World Health Organization predicts that will double by 2050—if you suspect that you have hearing loss, you’re not alone.

There are multiple solutions for hearing loss, but they all offer different things at different prices, so anyone would be overwhelmed by looking at all the options!

If this sounds like you, then you’re in the right place. We’ve gathered the key options available to you to help treat your hearing loss, and we’ll share our unbiased views on each choice.

Things to Consider

Just like when you get to pick your prescription glasses, the options available depend on your level of vision—or, for us, your level of hearing loss. For instance, you won’t need something made for severe hearing loss if your level of hearing loss is only mild.

There are a few other considerations to keep in mind, too: what your lifestyle is like, if you’d prefer to stay on a budget or need the best of the best, whether you value building a relationship with one company or don’t mind jumping around between multiple…

See what we mean about overwhelming? Don’t worry—there’s a lot to consider, but once you understand your preferences, you can pick which of the many options available will be best for you and your unique needs.

What Are My Options for Addressing My Hearing Loss?

There are multiple options available for you, dependent on your budget and level of hearing loss. Everyone needs something different to help alleviate their hearing loss challenge, so we’ve gathered some of the most common options so you can see which one would work best.

Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids

In August 2022, the FDA started allowing affordable hearing aids to be accessible over the counter for people with hearing loss challenges. While over-the-counter hearing aids aren’t prescription, they can offer a generic solution that could help with minor hearing challenges.

To continue the glasses comparison, over-the-counter hearing aids are like a pair of reading glasses from the drugstore—they’ll help in certain contexts, but not always.

Online Hearing Aids With Audiological Remote Support

Hearing aids purchased online don’t require you to leave your house, which makes the process remarkably easy; you take a hearing test at home, then send your results off in exchange for hearing aids.

This is similar to how many glasses companies have you take a test at home and then send you glasses at a fraction of the cost.

However, since the hearing test is done at home, not by an audiologist or hearing care professional, your results could be inaccurate, leading to incorrectly programmed devices. And since they’re an at-home solution, insurance benefits also cannot be utilized.

Big-Box Retail Stores 

Stores like Sam’s Club and Costco now frequently have internal hearing aid centers that offer assessments and hearing aids that are accessible and customized to your unique hearing needs—quite often, the best of both worlds for those with hearing challenges.

However, getting follow-up care and support can be tricky in a retail environment—people can sometimes wait weeks before receiving support, and if your devices get damaged or lost, replacing them can be a lengthy process to endure without them.

Audiology Clinic

This is often considered the traditional approach, much like going to an optometrist for an eye test and prescription glasses.

You work with an audiologist or hearing care professional to get your hearing assessed and your ears checked out for other health concerns, and prescribed hearing aids are offered with warranties, protection, and follow-up appointments.

Your hearing care professional will check your overall hearing health on top of figuring out your hearing loss level, and you’ll be continuously looked after throughout the entire appointment process.