Can Hearing Amplifiers Damage Your Hearing?

While hearing amplifiers are not likely to damage your hearing, they are not the same thing as a hearing aid and are not appropriate for everyone.

In part because the two products sound (and look) alike, there is some confusion around what differentiates the two. They are used for different purposes, and it is important to know which situation calls for which product.

The Difference Between Hearing Amplifiers and Hearing Aids

Also known as personal sound amplification products, hearing amplifiers boost all of the sounds around you; think of them as essentially turning up the volume knob of your surroundings. They are often used not medically but recreationally, for example by bird-watchers or hunters, and they can be used if you’re at the back of a theater where it would otherwise be difficult to hear.

Hearing amplifiers are not FDA-regulated, and the FDA classifies them as consumer electronics and not medical devices. Hearing amplifiers do not require a doctor’s prescription to purchase. Think of it like buying a pair of reading glasses at a drugstore versus getting glasses from your optometrist. Like non-prescription reading glasses, over-the-counter hearing amplifiers can help, but are not customized to you and your exact medical needs. 

Hearing aids, on the other hand, are FDA-regulated medical devices which require a consultation and fitting by an audiologist. As such, they are selected for your specific aural needs, and they are recommended for those with moderate to severe hearing loss.

Another way to understand the difference between hearing amplifiers and hearing aids is that hearing amplifiers simply make sounds louder around you, while hearing aids make sounds clearer to you by being more nuanced about what they amplify and what they block out.

When to Consider a Hearing Aid Over a Hearing Amplifier

A hearing amplifier can help if you have mild hearing loss, but if you suspect you have at least moderate hearing loss, you should seek the advice of an audiologist. 

Moderate hearing loss is defined as being unable to hear between 41 and 55 decibels; at this level of hearing loss, you wouldn’t be able to hear rain falling and would have trouble understanding people talking at a normal volume. With severe hearing loss (between 71 and 90 decibels), you wouldn’t be able to hear a hair dryer or vacuum cleaner running in the same room as you. And at the highest end, profound hearing loss (between 91 and 100 decibels), you wouldn’t be able to hear someone shouting in front of you.

If you are having a good deal of trouble hearing and think you might fall into the category of moderate hearing loss, consider consulting a medical professional about getting a hearing aid. While a hearing amplifier is not likely to damage your hearing, it should not solely be relied upon if you have hearing loss that would make a hearing aid the more appropriate choice.