Some Apple AirPods wireless headphones can be used as hearing aids with a new software update available Monday. It's a high-profile move that experts applaud, even if they only reach a small portion of the millions of Americans with hearing loss.
An estimated 30 million people — 1 in 8 Americans over the age of 12 — have hearing loss in both ears. Millions would benefit from hearing aids but most have never tried them, according to the 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.
Over the past few years, there's been a push to change that. Two years ago, federal rules changed to allow hearing aids to be sold over-the-counter, a move that many hoped would bring better and cheaper options to patients. And last month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved software from Apple that would turn AirPods Pro 2 into hearing aids.
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A pair of Apple AirPods Pro 2 are displayed on a table at Brooklyn College's audiology clinic in New York on Oct. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Mary Conlon)
It's unclear yet whether the rule changed has helped, experts say. But turning AirPods into hearing aids is the kind of creative move advocates had hoped for. Here's what to know about hearing loss, hearing aids, and Apple's new option.
Hearing loss can contribute to isolation, dementia, even fall risk
About 15% of Americans report some difficulty hearing. Most people with hearing loss are over 60, but hearing problems don't only affect older people. One study found men and people living in rural areas are more likely to have hearing loss.
And it has been linked to many health effects beyond the ear. It contributes to isolation, depression and cognitive decline, experts say. It raises dementia risk and rewires the brain. It's also been linked to an increased risk of falls — 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."
You don't need to see a doctor to get a hearing aid
Before the 2022 rule change by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, everyone had to see a doctor and get a prescription for a hearing aid to get one. Now, they're available without one.
"As more of them are sold, then hopefully the price will go down," said Elizabeth Stangl, an audiologist at the University of Iowa. "But we haven't seen a big rush to get them."
Even buying over-the-counter, a decent hearing aid can easily run you $400 to $500, said Stangl, who researches how well people adjust to using hearing aids. And some of the less expensive options are really just "cheap amplifiers," lacking the personalized level settings and noise canceling features that really make hearing aids helpful.
How does the Apple AirPods hearing aid feature work?
The hearing aid feature is available with AirPods Pro 2 models, and requires an iPhone or iPad to set it up. 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 personalized amplification levels.
The headphones sell for $249 on Apple's website, and sometimes less from other retailers.
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 normalize 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. Fit and comfort during long use might be an issue. And while other hearing aids are built to last through a whole day or more, Stangl said the battery life of the AirPods won't allow for that. 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 realize, 'Yeah, these do help,'" she said.
Tips for buying OTC hearing aids
Stangl suggests people do plenty of research before buying. She said Facebook and Reddit forums can be especially helpful in vetting devices. The websites Hearing Tracker and Soundly also have reliable reviews and resources for selecting a hearing aid, she said.
The Hearing Loss Association of America and American Academy of Audiology have guides to buying a hearing aid at their websites. If you are stuck, consult an audiologist.
Look for devices that allow you to adjust different pitches. Most people with hearing loss have the hardest time hearing higher pitches, so find a device that can adjust amplification across frequencies.
To avoid the piercing whistle of feedback, buy a device that has a "feedback manager." Fit is critical, but beware: it might not necessarily be the one that's initially the most comfortable, so take your time.
Can you use your FSA or HSA money to buy OTC hearing aids — or even AirPods?
Pre-tax money stashed away in flexible spending accounts or health savings accounts can be used to buy hearing aids, including ones sold over the counter.
Does this mean you can score a new set of AirPods Pro2 with pre-tax money? Experts say it's a gray area that hasn't been tested yet, so be wary. You may even need a letter of medical necessity. It's best to check with an accountant before you try it.
The Apple iPhone 16 is displayed at the Apple Fifth Avenue store on Sept. 20, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith, File)
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.
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 University of Iowa gathers training resources through its Resource Center for Auditory Training. Free apps like the World Health Organization's "hearWHO" offer hearing tests and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's Sound Level Meter App lets you measure if noise levels are dangerous.
"The majority of people own smart phones and don't realize 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 Center and former president of the American Academy of Audiology. "This has made hearing care accessible to many."
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How accurate are fitness trackers? A comparison of Fitbit, Garmin, Apple, Oura, and Withings
How accurate are fitness trackers? A comparison of Fitbit, Garmin, Apple, Oura, and Withings
How accurate are fitness trackers?
Today, keeping track of your health is more within reach than ever with the widespread distribution and use of wearable fitness trackers. But how accurate is your health device? Are you really getting those 10k steps a day, or did you really burn that many calories in your morning 5K run? explores the accuracy of activity trackers produced by the five leading fitness tracker companies—Fitbit, Garmin, Apple, Oura, and Withings—to understand how reliable the data from wearable devices is and how effectively they can be used to monitor health behaviors.Â
Please note that the compilation of data will rely on information published in peer-reviewed journals. This is due to the fact that manufacturers are not legally obligated to disclose accuracy testing unless their products are classified as medical devices.
If you are still experiencing decision fatigue when it comes to choosing your device, check out to help you narrow down your selection.Â
How accurate is the Fitbit?
While step counting is a specialty of Fitbit devices, a of 67 studies revealed some variations in accuracy. On treadmills, Fitbits tended to underestimate steps, while in real-life scenarios, they often overestimated them. Overall, however, these discrepancies were generally considered acceptable. Despite its success in step counting, Fitbit's energy expenditure measurements were less accurate, particularly for higher-intensity activities, and it often underestimated distance during faster walking. Additionally, while Fitbit's sleep tracking aligns closely with some research-grade tools, a more recent found that the Fitbit Inspire 2 overestimates vital sleep metrics when pitted against the gold standard. Compared to ​​polysomnography (PSG) tests, researchers saw these overestimations for total sleep time, deep sleep, and REM. When it comes to cardiovascular health, the Fitbit Charge does pretty well. It only slightly overestimates and slightly underestimates (HR), but becomes more accurate with increased activity. is an important indicator of cardiovascular fitness. It measures the amount of oxygen your body can take up during exercise, so it tends to be higher in individuals who do a lot of aerobic activity, like running or swimming.
Accurately tracks: Steps, VO max, and sleep (sort of)
Inaccurately tracks: Distance and energy expenditure
How accurate is the Garmin watch?
In a of 32 studies from 2020, Garmin activity trackers demonstrated high accuracy in tracking steps, but limited studies were available for assessing speed, elevation, and sleep tracking. When it comes to distance accuracy, Garmin watches seem to overestimate distances at slow treadmill speeds and underestimate at high speeds. Furthermore, the accuracy of energy expenditure and HR tracking was found to be comparatively lower than that of other health trackers. A revealed that the Garmin Forerunner accurately predicted VO2 max, although there was notable variation among the group of 44 individuals.
Accurately tracks: Steps and VO2 max
Inaccurately tracks: Energy expenditure, distance, heart rate, and sleep
How accurate is the Apple Watch?
A shows the Apple Watch to be highly accurate as a fitness tracker when measuring daily step counts, particularly at a moderate intensity level. However, this preciseness fluctuated with the device overestimating at slower walking speeds and underestimating at faster ones. The review also found that energy expenditure was overestimated by the Apple Watch. While formal research from this hasn't been shared discussing heart rate in healthy patients, researchers found that for patients with cardiovascular disease, the Apple Watch HR during exercise was accurate. This work was promising for potential use in HR-guided training programs for cardiac rehabilitation. Additionally, according to a , the watchOS 7 and later models allow users to note if they're on heart rate-limiting medications, which modifies the algorithm used to calculate VO2 max, ensuring more accurate results.
Accurately tracks: Steps, heart rate, and VO2 max
Inaccurately tracks: Energy expenditure and speed
How accurate is the Oura Ring?
The Oura Ring stands out for its precision in sleep tracking, nighttime heart metrics, and body temperature, offering insights into readiness and overall wellness. This published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine serves as a testament to Oura's sleep measurements, as it performed impressively well next to medical-grade sleep study tracking results. A indicates it's also great at reading nocturnal heart health metrics, but little research has been done to assess its daytime accuracy. Research does indicate, however, that when it comes to step counting and energy expenditure, it may be suboptimal. In 2023, this concluded that while it can detect sweeping changes in energy expenditure, it became less sensitive as activity intensity increased. The ring struggles with step counting due to its position on the finger, often mistaking hand movements for steps. Additionally, without GPS, it cannot accurately track distance or speed unless paired with a phone. Oura rings also track VO2 max, but a explains that it's a "broad estimate" and it won't be as accurate as lab measurements.Â
Accurately tracks: Sleep, nighttime heart rate variability and heart rate, body temperature
Inaccurately tracks: Steps, distance, speed
How accurate is the Withings watch?Â
demonstrated a strong correlation between estimated steps from the Withings watches and those obtained using devices widely considered gold standards for step and activity estimation. Additionally, the Withings tended to assess relative energy expenditure levels with exceptional accuracy. Likewise, suggests that while the Withings showed acceptable accuracy in measuring HR for general consumer use, it may not be suitable for situations requiring more precise HR measurements, such as healthcare or clinical trials. Notably, the Withings displayed lower accuracy in measuring HR during mobile activities like walking, gardening, and household tasks, compared to more sedentary activities such as desk work, eating or drinking, and sitting. According to Withings, the ScanWatch does measure VO2 max, however, there's been no research published on its accuracy, so it's safe to assume it's not medical grade.
Accurately tracks: Energy expenditure, heart rate (sedentary), and steps
Inaccurately tracks: Heart rate (mobile)
Back to the age-old question: How accurate are fitness trackers?
In short, they're not always exact, but they do point us in the right direction. The compilation of research further pushes for the narrative that people should treat these fitness trackers as tools to give them relative information about our overall health. Rather than focusing too deeply on the individual metrics, they should zoom out and focus on the general trends.Â
Health applications can help people visualize and identify patterns in the information their device is tracking around the clock, ultimately supporting them in making more informed health decisions.Â
While this may not have been the answer you wanted to hear, have no fear! This doesn't mean you should stop aiming to hit your daily 10,000 steps or disregard the metrics entirely. This information just suggests that it is advisable to avoid basing lifestyle and your health decisions solely on these numerical values.Â
was produced by and reviewed and distributed by Stacker Media.
