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Hearing Devices

What types of hearing assistance devices are there?

There are 2 main types of hearing devices. Click on an image below below to learn more:

Prescription Hearing Aids
Over the Counter Hearing Aids

Prescription Hearing Aids

Profound to Moderate Hearing Loss

What Are They?
Prescription hearing aids are regulated by the FDA, are customized to a person's hearing loss and are only available from a licensed hearing aid professional.

What Makes them Different:
Patients are fitted and tested by an audiologist to fine-tune the hearing needs for each individual. That means they will always be fitted and calibrated to amplify the specific sounds you are unable to hear. You can expect ensure peak performance and comfort.

Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids

Mild to Moderate Hearing Loss

What Are They?
Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids are a new category recently created by the FDA that can be purchased without a prescription or the involvement of a licensed professional.

What Makes them Different:
OTC make sounds louder but in contrast to prescription devices — users fit and adjust them without the help or finetuning of a professional. In this way, they are similar to buying reading glasses from the drug store without visiting an optometrist for prescription glasses that are better tailored to suit your individual needs.

Comparing Hearing Aids

What device is right for me?

Select your HearScore to see what type of devices we recommend.

Don't Know Your HearScore? Find Out Here

Back to Select your HearScore 

Your Score

Recommended Prescription Solutions

  • Based on your HearScore, you most likely have Slight hearing loss.
  • Ear plugs and ear muffs are an option as they protect the ears from further hearing loss
  • It's important to purchase Ear Protection from a trusted source that has experience in Audiological care such as SoundBe.

Back to Select your HearScore 

Your Score

Recommended Prescription Solutions

  • Based on your HearScore, you most likely have Slight hearing loss.
  • Ear plugs and ear muffs are an option as they protect the ears from further hearing loss
  • It's important to purchase Ear Protection from a trusted source that has experience in Audiological care such as SoundBe.

Back to Select your HearScore 

Your Score

Recommended Prescription Solutions

  • Based on your HearScore, you most likely have Slight hearing loss.
  • Ear plugs and ear muffs are an option as they protect the ears from further hearing loss
  • It's important to purchase Ear Protection from a trusted source that has experience in Audiological care such as SoundBe.

Back to Select your HearScore 

Your Score

Recommended Prescription Solutions

  • Based on your HearScore, you most likely have Slight hearing loss.
  • Ear plugs and ear muffs are an option as they protect the ears from further hearing loss
  • It's important to purchase Ear Protection from a trusted source that has experience in Audiological care such as SoundBe.

Back to Select your HearScore 

Your Score

Recommended Prescription Solutions

  • Based on your HearScore, you most likely have Slight hearing loss.
  • Ear plugs and ear muffs are an option as they protect the ears from further hearing loss
  • It's important to purchase Ear Protection from a trusted source that has experience in Audiological care such as SoundBe.

Back to Select your HearScore 

Your Score

Recommended OTC Solutions

  • Based on your HearScore, you most likely have Slight hearing loss.
  • Ear plugs and ear muffs are an option as they protect the ears from further hearing loss
  • It's important to purchase Ear Protection from a trusted source that has experience in Audiological care such as SoundBe.

Back to Select your HearScore 

Your Score

Recommended OTC Solutions

  • Based on your HearScore, you most likely have Slight hearing loss.
  • Ear plugs and ear muffs are an option as they protect the ears from further hearing loss
  • It's important to purchase Ear Protection from a trusted source that has experience in Audiological care such as SoundBe.

Back to Select your HearScore 

Your Score

Recommended Hearing Protection Solutions

  • Based on your HearScore, you most likely have Slight hearing loss.
  • Ear plugs and ear muffs are an option as they protect the ears from further hearing loss
  • It's important to purchase Ear Protection from a trusted source that has experience in Audiological care such as SoundBe.

Back to Select your HearScore 

Your Score

Recommended Hearing Protection Solutions

  • Based on your HearScore, you most likely have Slight hearing loss.
  • Ear plugs and ear muffs are an option as they protect the ears from further hearing loss
  • It's important to purchase Ear Protection from a trusted source that has experience in Audiological care such as SoundBe.

Back to Select your HearScore 

Your Score

Recommended Hearing Protection Solutions

  • Based on your HearScore, you most likely have Slight hearing loss.
  • Ear plugs and ear muffs are an option as they protect the ears from further hearing loss
  • It's important to purchase Ear Protection from a trusted source that has experience in Audiological care such as SoundBe.

Where should I buy hearing aids?

Prescription Hearing Aids

A Licensed Audiologist

While you can buy prescription hearing aids online and from big box stores, it's best to buy from a licensed audiologist. When you choose to purchase hearing aids through an audiologist, you get more than just the latest devices. You also get comprehensive care and follow-up visits for the life of your device, and the comfort of knowing that they're there to help whenever you need them.

Over the Counter Hearing Aids

SoundBe

Since Over-The-Counter Hearing Aids are a new category, it's important to purchase these devices from a trusted source that has experience in audiological care. At SoundBe, we are born and backed by the leaders and audiologists of Alpaca Audiology, part of Sonova Audiological Care.

FAQ

What are OTC hearing aids?

Over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids are FDA-regulated medical devices that help make sounds loud
enough to be heard by people with perceived mild-to-moderate hearing loss. OTC hearing aids do not
require a prescription, as the FDA is trying to make these devices easier to get so more people can tend
to their hearing health.

What are personal sound amplifiers?

Personal sound amplifiers are electronic tools that help make certain sounds louder in particular
environments for people with normal healthy hearing. For example, a personal sound amplifier might
make it easier to hear birds during birdwatching, or big game during hunting.

What are hearing aids?

Hearing aids are medical devices, meaning they must fit specific requirements enforced by the FDA, that
provide support to people with hearing loss. Prescription hearing aids require a medical consultation
and a prescription, and may be covered fully or in part by insurance. Over-the-counter (OTC) hearing
aids are intended for a subset of people with hearing loss—those with perceived mild to moderate
hearing loss—and they do not require a professional consultation or prescription.
However, OTC hearing aids are generally not covered by insurance, and they do not offer the same level
of customization and adjustments as a prescription hearing aid.