Apple has released an update on its comprehensive Apple Hearing Study, revealing new insights into tinnitus, a common hearing condition.
Conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan, this study is one of the largest surveys on tinnitus to date, utilizing data from over 160,000 participants using Apple devices.
What is Tinnitus
Tinnitus is characterized by the perception of sound without an external source, often experienced as ringing, buzzing, or other noises. It can significantly impact the quality of life, affecting sleep, concentration, and hearing clarity. The study found that 77.6% of participants had experienced tinnitus at some point in their lives.
The prevalence of daily tinnitus increased with age, with individuals aged 55 and older being three times more likely to experience it daily compared to younger participants aged 18-34. Male participants reported a slightly higher incidence of daily tinnitus than females, but a higher percentage of males stated they had never experienced tinnitus.
Common Strategies for Managing Tinnitus
Participants in the study employed various methods to manage their tinnitus. Most commonly, listening to the sounds of nature, medication practice, and the use of noise machines are the strategies implemented.
Noise trauma or exposure to excessively high noise levels was identified as the primary cause of tinnitus, cited by 20.3% of participants.
Apple's Tools for Supporting Hearing Health
The iPhone maker highlighted several features of its devices designed to support hearing health:
Noise App on Apple Watch
It's important to note that your Apple Watch's Noise app can help you get alerted when environmental noise levels disrupt your hearing health.
The iPhone's Health app monitors a user's sound level exposure history and alerts them if their headphone audio or environmental noise levels surpass World Health Organization standards.
Monitoring Environmental Sound Levels
Users can view environmental sound levels over the course of a week on their iPhone and check noise levels in decibels on the Apple Watch, ensuring their exposure remains within safe limits.
Active Noise Cancellation and Loud Sound Reduction
Active Noise Cancellation on AirPods Pro and AirPods Max uses built-in microphones to detect and counter external sounds with anti-noise, effectively canceling them before they reach the user's ears.
For those who want to hear ambient sounds, the Loud Sound Reduction mode on AirPods Pro (2nd generation) lowers loud noises while preserving sound quality.
Reducing Loud Audio
To set a headphone volume limit, users can go to Settings, tap "Sounds & Haptics" (on iPhone 7 and later) or "Sounds" (for earlier models), then tap "Headphone Safety" to activate "Reduce Loud Audio" and set the slider to your preferred decibel level.
Advancing Hearing Health Research
The Apple Hearing Study, in collaboration with the University of Michigan, aims to advance understanding of sound exposure and its impact on hearing health.
"The trends that we're learning through the Apple Hearing Study about people's experience with tinnitus can help us better understand the groups most at risk, which can, in turn, help guide efforts to reduce the impacts associated with it," University of Michigan environmental health sciences professor Rick Neitzel said in a press release via The Verge.
The study has gathered around 400 million hours of environmental sound level data, complemented by lifestyle surveys, to examine how sound exposure impacts hearing, stress, and related health aspects. This data is also being shared with the World Health Organization as part of its Make Listening Safe initiative.
