How Apple’s new AirPods feature may help people with hearing loss

Some Apple AirPods wireless headphones can be used as hearing aids with a new software update this week.

Hearing aids could benefit millions of people but most have never tried them, according to the US National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.

Countless others have tried them, but don’t use them because of cost, poor quality, poor fit, how they look, or for other reasons.

Here’s what to know about hearing loss, hearing aids, and Apple’s new option.

Hearing loss can contribute to isolation, dementia, and fall risk

An estimated 11.1 per cent of people in the European Union, Switzerland, Norway and the UK have self-reported hearing loss, according to a June 2020 report.

Most people with hearing loss are over 60, but hearing problems don’t only affect older people.

According to one study, men and people living in rural areas are more likely to have hearing loss.

Hearing loss has also been linked to many health issues beyond the ear such as isolation, depression, and cognitive decline.

It raises dementia risk and rewires the brain. It’s also been linked to an increased risk of falls, which is a major health concern among older adults.

“Everything we do, all our relationships, whether it’s personal or in our work life, involve hearing conversation,” said Barbara Kelley, executive director of Hearing Loss Association of America.

“We’re finding now that the sooner that people can pay attention to their hearing health, the better”.

How does the Apple AirPods hearing aid feature work?

According to Apple, the Hearing Test and Aid features “are expected to receive marketing authorisation from global health authorities soon, and will be available this fall in more than 100 countries and regions, including the US, Germany, and Japan”.

These include multiple European countries such as Denmark, Finland, Austria, Hungary, Greece, Ireland, and Poland among others.

Euronews Health has reached out to Apple to confirm when the AirPods will be available in these countries but did not immediately receive a reply. They have already been authorised in the US.

The hearing aid feature will be available with AirPods Pro 2 models and requires an iPhone or iPad to set it up.

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It starts with built-in tests that will help users determine if they have hearing loss, set up the feature if they do, and set personalised amplification levels.

While there are many other earbud-type devices that can function the same way, experts agreed that the AirPods addition is a good one, simply because of the way it could help normalise hearing aids.

“It’s just mainstream,” Kelley said. The ubiquity of AirPods could make people worried about the look of a hearing aid more open to using them.

There may be some drawbacks, though. While other hearing aids are built to last through a whole day or more, Elizabeth Stangl, an audiologist at the University of Iowa in the US, said the battery life of the AirPods won’t allow for that.

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She also noted that wearing earbuds can send a message to others that the person doesn’t want to be disturbed or spoken to.

“But we’re hoping that more people will try it and realise, ‘Yeah, these do help,'” she said.

Your smartphone can help you even without hearing aids

Even if you can’t afford the latest and greatest tech, your smartphone can be a tool to protect and improve your hearing.

Most phones can now turn speech into text, which can help facilitate conversations. iPhone’s “Live Listen” feature turns your phone into an amplifying microphone that can beam your dinner date’s voice right to your ear even if you’re in a noisy restaurant.

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There are also many apps and websites that can help beyond hearing aids. Some apps can vibrate your phone if an alarm is going off or the dog is barking.

“The majority of people own smartphones and don’t realise all that their phone can do, including functioning as a good amplifier for people with mild to moderate hearing loss,” said Catherine Palmer, director of audiology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre and former president of the American Academy of Audiology.

“This has made hearing care accessible to many”.