Most people who need hearing aids don’t use them. What to know about the tools available to you.

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Some Apple AirPod wireless headphones can be used as hearing aids with a new software update. 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. It's unclear yet whether the rule change has helped, experts say. But turning AirPods into hearing aids is the kind of creative move advocates had hoped for. The hearing aid feature is available with AirPods Pro 2 models only 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. 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,” said Barbara Kelley, executive director of Hearing Loss Association of America. The ubiquity of AirPods could make people worried about the look of a hearing aid more open to using them. This article was provided by The Associated Press.