What Are Your Options to Address a Hearing Loss in 2025?

PSAPs amplify all the sound picked up by their built-in microphones. We’d equate these to magnifying glasses that magnify everything within the lens’s scope: great for some situations, but not all. 

If you’re struggling to hear in background noise, like in a busy restaurant or bar, a PSAP could help amplify the voices of the conversation you want to hear… but also all the background noise. They amplify all sounds, including the sounds you don’t necessarily need to be louder.

Federally authorized in 2022, over-the-counter hearing aids are an accessible option for those in need of hearing aids that can’t access more premium prescription options. 

These are like “readers” you can get at the grocery store; a good fix for some contexts but not all.  

Since OTC hearing aids do not come with a prescription for your specific hearing needs, they’re a general solution that might not address more acute hearing struggles, like auditory processing disorder or tinnitus. 

Costco’s hearing aid clinic has long been retailing hearing aids. Their Kirkland-branded devices come after an in-store hearing test, and they can be an affordable option for those with Costco memberships looking to address hearing challenges. 

However, due to their retailer status, follow-up appointments or getting repairs/replacements on your devices could leave you waiting for weeks on end.  

Costco’s hearing test is a pure-tone audiometry test, which only tests for baseline hearing loss, so your hearing aids won’t be able to address earwax buildup, tinnitus, or other conflicts in your ears.  

In late 2024, Apple revealed that iOS 18 would include some hearing assistive features, including an at-home hearing test and the ability to use the Apple AirPods Pro 2 as assistive hearing devices. 

While Apple’s latest foray into hearing care is user-friendly, speedy, and streamlined, the hearing test is a simple pure-tone audiometry test that looks to “cure” hearing loss with simple amplification.  

If you take the Apple hearing test and the results point to hearing loss, we encourage you to visit us for a more comprehensive hearing assessment to learn the full scope of your hearing challenges. 

For addressing all scopes of your hearing health, from tinnitus to earwax impaction and more, working with a team of expert audiologists is your most efficient and comprehensive choice. 

Your audiologist will assess your hearing to the most detailed degree, and no matter what your results indicate, they will work with you to address any present hearing challenges with personalized treatment that puts your needs at the forefront.