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Comment by cf100clunk | Hacker News Reader

"People with mild or moderate hearing loss" should be free to purchase these sort of generic hearing aids in much the same way that buying non-prescription reading glasses is common. If problems persist, it is time to consult a professional.

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Heck, imagine if prescription glasses were only available from government-certified vendors. We'd be back to paying $700 a pair like the bad old days.

Buy lightweight frames and lenses, have progressives and get anti-glare coating and "we'd be back to paying $700/pair" is like, last year if I miss a sale. Lenscrafters, not a small shop. They're all owned by the same site, and I work on the 50% off of lenses sale. Frames are 150-300 as I avoid big-name style. These are way more than +2.5 diopter reading glasses, and you might imagine that astigmatism and progressives does wonders for straight lines...

Glasses are a huge ripoff due to the industry being a monopoly with no help from the government.

There are some online retailers that have pretty good prices.

Spare a link or two?

https://www.eyebuydirect.com/

https://www.zennioptical.com/

I like these: https://eyeglassfactoryoutlet.com

An improperly tuned hearing aid can make your hearing worse though...actively causing further damage.

Right, but I can also buy an improperly tuned chainsaw and cut my arm off.

I’d argue that there should be a giant warning on the box about proper tuning, and leave it at that.

Reading glasses can be exchanged or refunded at most stores if they are not suitable. I would hope the FDA specifies the same for OTC hearing aids.

Setting FDA requriemetns on return is example of overregulation that is frankly not needed - I struggle to come up with online/DTC brand that does not have free 30 days return policy. Virtually all electronics on Amazon has free return. This is pretty much industry standard.

But who does the "proper" tuning?

We really need prescriptions for headphones to save people from themselves.

I don’t know about that but if there was a quality headphone that limited how loud my kid can play things and stopped spikes of loud audio during the loud parts of movies I would buy it today.

https://isotunes.com/products/isotunes-lite

These are limited to 85db output. I have a pair that I use in my woodshop as hearing protection, which they are rated for, and really like that my music or podcast stays at a consistent volume. I also have volume normalizing turned on in Spotify.

iOS has volume limits in the control panel, partially helps.

Pointed out in a grandchild comment, but it's basically happening now. Phones will limit noise exposure from headphones, based on NOIA and similar standards.

I'm sure that's true. I'm also pretty sure that number is a lot smaller than the number of people in the general population who permanently damage their hearing using non-prescription headphones that they can purchase anywhere to listen to music every year.

The wrong glasses prescription can make your sight worse as well but you can still buy reading glasses and buy "prescription" glasses of any strength.

This is the same reason prescription glasses are prescription. They change your vision over time.

So can wearing reading glasses you don't need.

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