Apple wants to know if you hear things because of tinnitus

More than 77 percent of people in a large study sponsored by Apple have suffered from tinnitus at some point in their lives, according to preliminary data. About 15% report being affected by tinnitus on a daily basis, hearing ringing or other sounds that others cannot hear.

In one of the largest surveys of its kind, researchers at the University of Michigan collected data from more than 160,000 participants who answered survey questions and completed hearing assessments on the Research app. ‘Apple since 2019. The goal is to study the effects of sound exposure through headphones, how tinnitus affects people and perhaps develop new methods to manage the symptoms.

“The trends we learn from the Apple Hearing study about the experiences of people with tinnitus can help us better understand which groups are most at risk, which in turn can help guide efforts to reduce associated impacts,” said University of Michigan Environmental Health. said science teacher Rick Neitzel in a press release.

Tinnitus is a widespread problem that can affect daily life. For comparison, about 10 percent of adults in the United States suffer from some form of tinnitus, according to estimates from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD).

But the way people get tinnitus, which can be triggered by exposure to loud noise, can change depending on the devices they use. In the past, tinnitus was more associated with workers exposed to a lot of noise at work. Over the past decade, listening to music through headphones, attending concerts or sporting events, and other “recreational” sound exposures have become a major concern for researchers. Previous studies suggest that for people living in urban areas, listening to music may be the main source of noise exposure. Apple iPods, smartphones, and headphones have undoubtedly played a role in this trend.

Unsurprisingly, “noise trauma” – which Apple calls “exposure to excessively high noise levels” – was the main cause of tinnitus identified by participants in the new study. About 10% of people in the Apple-backed study said tinnitus interfered with their ability to hear clearly. Researchers also found that the duration of a tinnitus episode “increases significantly” with age. Nearly 36 percent of participants aged 55 or older suffer from constant tinnitus, compared to 14.7 percent of adults overall. To cope, more than half of participants turn to noise machines or nature sounds to manage their tinnitus.

The study could “help develop new products to optimize your hearing experience and reduce the risk of hearing loss,” the University of Michigan says on its website. And Apple touts some features of its devices as ways “Apple products can help you,” such as using the Noise app on Apple Watch to receive notifications when loud sounds around you reach a level that could be risky.

This hearing study is one of three ongoing projects being conducted through the Apple Research app (the other two concern heart health and menstrual cycles). Hearing study participants must be adults living in the United States. They do not need to use Apple headphones to participate in the study, except for certain tone and tinnitus exercises calibrated for AirPods Max, AirPods Pro, AirPods or EarPods.