In 2022, the FDA allowed hearing aids to be sold over the counter, providing consumers with more purchasing options beyond specialized storefronts. If you decide to visit a retail audiology center, the process begins with a medical exam where your ears are checked, and your hearing is tested in a specialized room. This 15-minute test involves listening to sounds at various frequencies and volumes, resulting in an audiogram used to program prescription hearing aids. Audiologists can later adjust these aids if needed.
Alternatively, purchasing high-end hearing aids from retail channels skips the physical exam but still offers access to a hearing test online or via an app. After buying and fitting the hearing aids, you undergo similar testing to program them, and the resulting audiogram is often as accurate as one from an audiologist. Hearing aid companies typically have an audiologist available to adjust settings remotely over time.
Less expensive hearing aids, usually under $300, often lack advanced hearing test technology or offer limited features, leaving users to customize them independently.