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 .
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
