PSAPs Might Be Allowed To Be Called Hearing Aids

PSAPs might be allowed to be called hearing aids

Most people with hearing loss get it by getting older. 

Two out of three people over 70 have trouble hearing. But what's really surprising is how many of them don'tget hearing aids." On average, about 20% of adults who have a hearing loss actually use a hearing aid," said Frank Lin, an ear surgeon, professor, and director of the Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health at Johns Hopkins. His research shows that hearing loss is associated with higher risks of hospitalization, depression, and especially dementia.

So, why don't more people seek treatment?

First, the price: "The average cost to get a pair of hearing aids in the United States is about $4,700, which is remarkable, right?" Dr. Lin said. "Because that basically means then for the average American, that this could be their third largest material purchase in life after a house and a car. So, it's incredibly expensive."

 Second,some people are also embarrassed to wear hearing aids. (Many don't realize how much smaller hearing aids have become over the decades.)

And then,some people are put off by the hassle of getting them. In the U.S., you can't get hearing aids without testing and consultation with a doctor or audiologist.

However,there is a goods news and the new law will create a new class of hearing aids much less customized, but also much less expensive. They may resemble these devices, called personal sound amplification products, or PSAPs.

But when the new law kicks in, several of these PSAPs might be allowed to be called that, said Nicholas Reed, an audiologist at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.

Some of these over-the-counter devices or called OTC Hearing aids or hearing amplifiers have some pretty cool features, too, such as the Great-Ears and OxSound from China of www.oxsound.com or www.byvisiontech.com . It retails for around $19 to $59.

The OxSouond.com Hearing Amplifiers