Latest news with #hearingaids
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
A new injection could REVERSE hearing loss and allow thousands to ditch their hearing aids. This is everything you need to know about it
For some two million people in the UK, hearing aids are a vital lifeline, allowing them to stay in touch with the world around them. But they cannot restore hearing – the devices work by amplifying sounds – and despite modern, sleek designs, for many people there is still a stigma attached to wearing them.
CTV News
21-07-2025
- General
- CTV News
Sound Impressions Hearing Centre - Not all hearing aids are created equal
Watch Registered Audiologist Cassandra Grabowski on the different types of hearing aids, and which may be right for you. #SPONSOREDCONTENT
Forbes
16-07-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Apple AirPods Are Now FDA-Approved Hearing Aids — Here's What That Means
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - SEPTEMBER 07: A pair of the new Apple AirPods are seen during a launch event on ... More September 7, 2016 in San Francisco, California. Apple Inc. unveiled the latest iterations of its smart phone, the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, the Apple Watch Series 2, as well as AirPods, the tech giant's first wireless headphones. (Photo by) Apple's AirPods Pro 2 now officially double as hearing aids. With FDA clearance granted late last year, the earbuds can be used as over-the-counter hearing devices for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss, marking a notable development in Apple's healthcare story. The feature is rolling out to more countries this month, including Australia, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Vietnam, CEO Tim Cook confirmed in a July 15 post on X. In the same update, Apple expanded access to another health-oriented tool: sleep apnea detection for newer Apple Watch models. The hearing aid function was first announced in 2024, alongside a suite of hearing health updates, and Apple at the time noted that it was still awaiting FDA clearance. That approval came in September, allowing the company to market the feature as an over-the-counter medical tool. Unlike traditional hearing aids, which are often expensive and require in-person fittings, the AirPods Pro 2 update allows users to assess and manage their hearing through software alone. The process begins with a five-minute hearing test delivered via iPhone or iPad, which measures the user's ability to hear tones at varying frequencies. That data is then used to generate a custom hearing profile, stored in the iOS Health app, which automatically adjusts audio playback across calls, music, and other media. Apple has also introduced a passive hearing protection mode that reduces exposure to loud environmental noise in real time — a feature the company says will remain always on. The FDA cleared a new class of over-the-counter hearing aids in 2022 — the rule was designed to expand access to basic hearing care and lower costs, especially for adults with mild to moderate loss, a group the FDA estimates includes roughly 30 million Americans. While other companies including Bose and Eargo have launched OTC hearing aids since the rule took effect, Apple's entry arrives not through a medical device but via an update to an existing consumer product already owned by millions. According to the World Health Organization, 1.5 billion people globally — nearly 20% of the population — live with some form of hearing loss, and the vast majority do not use hearing aids. That disconnect is often attributed to stigma, limited access, and cost — problems Apple is now attempting to address by integrating hearing assistance into mainstream, albeit also expensive, hardware. This is definitely not Apple's first step into health tech, but it may be one of its more consequential ones: While features like heart-rate tracking and fall detection on the Apple Watch have been marketed as wellness tools, the new hearing and sleep offerings edge closer to medical-grade territory. Meanwhile, the firm's sleep apnea detection tool, which uses wrist motion data to flag 'breathing disturbances' during sleep, also received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration — the feature is available on the Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Ultra 2, and is now rolling out in over 150 countries. Apple said the tool was trained and validated using a large clinical dataset and will analyze a user's breathing patterns over time to determine whether they show signs of moderate or severe sleep apnea. The results, categorized as 'elevated' or 'not elevated,' are viewable in the Health app, along with a report users can share with their physicians. According to Apple, the algorithm has been clinically validated and is intended to support, rather than replace, formal diagnosis or treatment. Separately, Samsung also secured FDA clearance for its Galaxy Watch sleep apnea tracking last year. As wearables increasingly take on functions once reserved for medical devices, the regulatory, ethical and consumer sentiment underpinning them may be ones to watch. Apple has so far walked a careful line, framing these tools as supplemental, useful for early detection or lifestyle awareness, but not total replacements for clinical care. In the case of the AirPods, the device now technically qualifies as a hearing aid under FDA rules, but its software-only setup also means that users are managing their own hearing support without audiologist involvement. Whether this kind of DIY model will meet user needs as well as clinical standards is so far unknown, but perhaps it could alter expectations for what health tech looks like and, if embraced at scale, who its users are. For those who already own AirPods Pro 2, the update could offer a way to detect and manage early-stage hearing loss at no additional cost, and for Apple, it marks a push towards building medical capabilities into its most popular devices — whether or not the public views them as medical-grade tech, or simply smarter accessories.
WIRED
02-07-2025
- Business
- WIRED
Jabra's 50R Hearing Aids Successfully Strip a Few Features to Hit a Palatable Price
Despite the rise of competition in the over-the-counter hearing aid space, quality hearing aids remain stubbornly expensive. Top producers aren't budging their premium prices, but they've quietly been introducing cheaper alternatives for consumers on a budget. Case in point is Jabra's Enhance Select 50R, the company's entry-level model. At first glance, the behind-the-ear 50R looks almost identical to Jabra's other hearing aids, like the Enhance Select 300, but a closer examination reveals a few hardware changes, including a curvier, almost vintage design and a bit higher weight. At 2.94 grams, it's nearly 0.4 grams heavier than Jabra's flagship Enhance Select 500. A single button on the back of each hearing aid controls volume (volume up on the right, down on the left) and lets you cycle through the four preset environment programs. Aside from its slight weight gain, the major differences are all under the hood, and primarily they amount to features available on the 300 and/or 500 that have been stripped out of this unit. Gentle Boost Photograph: Chris Null Sound processing tech is one of the biggest changes, as the 50R has a less sophisticated audio processor that lacks the spatial awareness you get with the Enhance Select 300 and 500. The 50R still has background noise reduction and speech prioritization features, but Jabra notes it is more suitable for quieter environments than loud ones. The difference in audio quality between the 50R and 300 is noticeable, though it's hardly profound. I've always admired the way Jabra's hearing aids provide a gentle, natural boost to hearing quality while dulling noise, and the 50R is nearly the same, devoid of hiss and feedback, while offering an organic, easygoing improvement in all types of environments, even mild crowd noise. (Jabra's standard four modes—all-around, restaurant, music, and outdoor—are also available here.) But the sound is a bit flatter and less three-dimensional than with the 300 or 500. I only detected this nuance due to years of experience testing dozens of hearing aid models of varying quality; sometimes, the differences among them are very fine-grained. But again, it's not a huge gap, and I expect most users will find the sound quality spot-on. I didn't find the 50R hearing aids to be quite as comfortable to wear for extended periods as Jabra's other hearing aids, but again, this is a nuanced distinction and perhaps a natural result of the slight increase in weight. Another feature stripped: The Enhance Select 50R supports Bluetooth streaming for calls and music, but lacks hands-free calling features and support for Auracast. This is probably not a huge deal-breaker, as streaming over hearing aids is rarely a treat. The lack of any real bass response to speak of on the 50Rs comes as no surprise, and is par for most traditional hearing aids, particularly Jabra's. Case Closed Photograph: Chris Null Lastly, and this is a big one, but Jabra's 50R hearing aids don't include a battery-powered charging case. They only charge via an open-top desktop charger that has to be plugged via a USB-C cord to relay power directly to the units. A simple plastic clamshell case is also included, but it has no power features and is usable only for protection. Jabra claims the 50R hearing aids provide a 24-hour running time on a full charge, which seems to be about accurate based on my usage during testing. Many of the features remain the same as you'll find in other Jabra models. The Jabra Enhance Select mobile app works identically with the 50R hearing aids as it does with all of Jabra's products, and buyers who opt for the $1,195 version of the product gain 3 years of Jabra's top-notch audiology access and warranty coverage. (The $995 version drops doctor access and cuts the warranty to 1 year.) The product is also available in the same five colors as other Jabra hearing aid models. Jabra's Enhance Select 300, our top overall hearing aid pick, runs $1,695, and the Jabra 500 is $1,995 (both with the three-year warranty option). Those are significant price differentials, and it's tempting to suggest that it's worth saving $500 and dropping a few features you may not miss. While the 50R is a solid product, I still feel like most users will be better served—and more future-proofed—by upgrading to the midrange Jabra 300. The features lost and the slightly lower audio quality of the 50R may not be noticeable on day one, but I suspect they will hit you eventually.
CBS News
01-07-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Growing number of young adults seek treatment for hearing loss, Bay Area doctors say
A growing number of young adults are grappling with a health issue they once thought was decades away: hearing loss. Being in a noisy city soundscape, or even a quiet environment, Dr. Rebekah Chang began to notice in her mid-forties that it was getting harder to hear. "You just don't know what people are saying. Maybe it will be a noisy time for a dinner, or when you're out with your friends for lunch," Chang told CBS News Bay Area. Chang is a Kaiser Permanente family medicine doctor now in her 50's. These days, she's hearing conversations more clearly with the assistance of hearing aids. "It's called Phonak Audeo. It's pretty small. It's rechargeable. It's got a little base for recharging," said Chang. Audiologists said younger adults are increasingly adopting hearing aids, motivated by tech advances and rising awareness of early hearing damage. Dr. Sara Rittweger is a supervising audiologist at Kaiser Permanente. "Technology has gotten so much better than what it used to be, that the criterion for people needing a hearing aid or wanting a hearing aid has also opened up too," said Rittweger. Dr. Sara Rittweger, an audiologist at Kaiser Permanente in San Francisco, performs a hearing test on a patient. CBS Hearing aid fittings from 2017–2021 show people aged 22–54 increased by about 14%, according to manufacturer Phonak. Audiologists said over the counter devices for mild to moderate hearing loss, including certain Apple Airpods, following FDA approval in late 2022, are leading to even more younger adults seeking care. "As people are recognizing these as options, I think actually more people are becoming more motivated to seek more professional or a higher level of care," said Rittweger. Chang says the stigma of hearing aids associated with older people that she was first concerned about, has waned. "In my mid 40s, it was a little vanity. I really didn't want to wear hearing aids that people could see," said Chang. A Johns Hopkins study indicates nearly 27 million Americans age 50 and older have hearing loss, but only one in seven uses a hearing aid. "I have been wearing these for several years," Chang said. "Hopefully I can help change that stigma a little bit. I really embrace it." It's made life better for Rebecca. She's hoping others will hear her message. A recent Johns Hopkins study also found that mild hearing loss doubled dementia risk. Moderate loss tripled risk, and people with a severe hearing impairment were five times more likely to develop dementia. If you think you're experiencing some hearing loss, experts say to schedule a hearing test with an audiologist.
