Your Earphones And Headphones As Health And Medical Devices

Most of us have likely used headphones, so far, mostly as entertainment accessories. These devices are now set for a digital health upgrade as companies are designing headphones as hearing aids and health tracking devices. 

Tech Giant Apple popularised the approach with a free update to the AirPods Pro 2 that makes it function as a clinical-grade hearing aid. The FDA even approved the Apple AirPods Pro’s Hearing Aid Feature as the first over-the-counter hearing aid software device in 2024. Other companies are also investigating this approach and headphones could be on track to become the next smartwatch, or a so-called hearable. 

As hearing loss affects about 1.5 billion people globally, these tech-driven solutions can expand access to personalised, high-quality hearing support. In this article, we consider the rising trend of headphones being adapted as health and medical devices.