[Various hearing aid devices at Brooklyn College’s audiology clinic]
[Reisman wearing over-the-counter hearing aid]
[Reisman holding Apple AirPods Pro 2]
[Reisman wearing AirPods]
Ruth Reisman-Aguilar (interview): “Apple recently released a software that’s compatible with all of their Apple products. So you’d need to have either an iPhone or an iPad to be able to get the benefits of this hearing health feature within the device. So it allows you to actually go through the steps of checking or screening your hearing. It’ll take those tests and actually plot it along a hearing graph that looks like an audiogram. And through that you can firstly adjust the sound quality of the devices to actually improve any kind of streaming media, streaming music, streaming through your phone or through your iPad. Additionally, it also has a hearing protective mechanism within the AirPod Pro 2.”
[AirPod Pro 2 in Reisman’s ear]
[AirPods on table]
[Reisman holding AirPods]
Barbara Kelley (interview): “You know, we’re all wearing these types of earbuds anyway, so now the FDA has authorized them to have the software to become an over-the-counter hearing aid. So it’s just mainstream. And anybody who is concerned about a little bit of stigma and they want to just look like everybody else, well, you will, because we all have a set of these in our pockets.”
[ReSound over-the-counter hearing aids]
[Reisman holding ReSound hearing aids]
[Reisman demonstrating how to wear the ReSound hearing aid]
Ruth Reisman-Aguilar (interview): “Over-the-counter hearing aids will only meet the needs for those with mild to moderate hearing loss. So with those with more complex hearing losses, severe hearing losses, hearing losses that have some form of medical concerns attached to it, prescription hearing aids is really the way to go.”
[Pamphlets]
[Otoscopes]
[Reisman demonstrating how to pair the Oticon prescription hearing aid with phone]
[Ear model]
[Noise level chart]
Ruth Reisman-Aguilar (interview): “Mild to moderate hearing loss differs from higher degrees of hearing loss in that, you know, they may still feel like they can hear some things and some environments are okay, but in most of their day-to-day-life, so in social settings, in areas where things are less than ideal, they may struggle.”
[Sony over-the-counter hearing aids]
[Reisman demonstrating Sony hearing aids]
Ruth Reisman-Aguilar (interview): “Every day I learn about more and more over-the-counter hearing aids that are being released. I think there are some notable companies or notable differences between companies. So as you’re shopping or as you’re looking for what device is going to work best for you, some things to consider are things like style. You know, do you want something behind the ear? Do you want something in the ear? So there are a variety of options. Even in the over-the-counter realm. Some options have Bluetooth connectivity, so either direct streaming or Bluetooth as an app to make adjustments. So there’s so many options and then even within price range. So really what I tell patients or for those that are considering either over-the-counter or prescription devices, I try to tell them to get the technology that fits within their budget and choose the best one that is considered affordable to them.”
[Reisman demonstrating Eargo over-the-counter hearing aids]
[Apple AirPods Pro 2 box]
This script was provided by The Associated Press.