In one of the largest surveys on tinnitus so far, University of Michigan researchers participating in the Apple Hearing Study released data and insights Tuesday that could help lead to future treatment.
Tinnitus is the perception of sound, often ringing, that others do not hear.
“The Apple Hearing Study gives us an opportunity that was not possible before to improve our understanding of tinnitus across demographics, aiding current scientific knowledge that can ultimately improve management of tinnitus,” said Rick Neitzel, a University of Michigan School of Public Health professor of environmental health sciences.
Apple tinnitus survey reveals insights on condition’s prevalence and characteristics
In the study, more than 160,000 participants answered survey questions and completed app-based assessments about their experience with tinnitus, according to the Apple Hearing Study update.
“Roughly 15 percent of our participants experience tinnitus daily,” Neitzel said. “Tinnitus is something that can have a large impact on a person’s life. 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.”
Tinnitus in the form of ringing or other sound can occur in one or both ears. It can last a moment or much longer. Sufferers’ experiences vary, and an individual’s experience can change over time. And tinnitus can impact quality of life by disrupting sleep, concentration and the ability to hear clearly.
And as for the purpose of the study, Apple said:
A first step toward advancing understanding of tinnitus is to learn more about who experiences it, how the experience differs between people and within an individual over time, the potential causes, and the methods for managing tinnitus and their perceived effectiveness.
Video: Apple
Tinnitus prevalence increases with age
The study found 77.6% of participants experienced tinnitus at some point, and the chance of having daily episodes of tinnitus tended to increase with age.
Folks 55 and up were three times more likely to hear it daily compared to 18-34 year-olds. And while 2.7 percent more male participants reported daily tinnitus than females, 4.8 percent more males said they’d never experienced it at all.
Management of tinnitus
Study participants reported using three methods to ease tinnitus:
- Using noise machines (28 percent).
- Listening to nature sounds (23.7 percent).
- Practicing meditation (12.2 percent).
Less than 2.1 % of participants chose cognitive and behavioral therapy to manage tinnitus.
What causes tinnitus?
The causes of tinnitis are complex and leave no guaranteed method to prevent the condition. However, practicing hearing protection and managing stress levels can lower chances of getting it.
In the study, participants cited “noise trauma,” or exposure to very loud sound, as the main cause of tinnitus (20.3 percent). Stress followed at 7.7 percent.
Apple tinnitus survey: Describing the experience
Photo: Apple
Participants characterized their tinnitus in various ways:
- The majority of participants experience brief episodes of tinnitus, compared to 14.7% who reported constant tinnitus.
- The reported duration of tinnitus significantly increases with age among participants 55 and older: 35.8% of participants ages 55 and older constantly experience tinnitus.
- Male participants experience constant tinnitus nearly 6.8% more than females.
- Tinnitus levels: The majority described it as faint, with 34.4% calling it noticeable compared to 8.8% who found it very loud or ultra loud. Ten percent of participants reported that their tinnitus has moderately or entirely interfered with their ability to hear clearly.
App-based sound test
In addition to the survey questions, participants who experienced tinnitus also completed an app-based sound test to characterize the type and quality of the sounds they experience with tinnitus.
- 78.5% of participants described their tinnitus as a pure tone; 17.4% described it as white noise. Among those who described a pure tone, 90.8% reported a pitch at 4kHz or above (similar to the tones in a songbird’s call).
- Among those who described a pure tone, 83.5% identified noted a single tone and 16.5% described a high-pitched, whistling sound like a teakettle.
- For the white noise hearers, 57.7% called it as a static tone; 21.7% compared it to a cricket tone; 11.2% said it was an electric tone and 9.4% identified it as a pulse tone.
More about the study
The ongoing Apple Hearing Study launched in 2019 to advance understanding of sound exposure and its impact on hearing health. It’s one of three landmark public health studies in the Research app on iPhone.
Apple noted:
So far, researchers have collected about 400 million hours of calculated environmental sound levels supplemented with lifestyle surveys to analyze how sound exposure affects hearing, stress, and hearing-related aspects of health. Study data will also be shared with the World Health Organization as a contribution to its Make Listening Safe initiative.
How Apple products can help
Photo: Apple
Along with the data, Apple suggested some of its products can be helpful when it comes to healthful hearing:
Noise app: With the Noise app, Apple Watch users can enable notifications for when environmental noise levels might affect their hearing health. The Health app on iPhone keeps track of a user’s history of exposure to sound levels, and informs whether headphone audio levels or environmental sound levels have exceeded those recommended by World Health Organization standards.
The Noise app on Apple Watch can notify a user when environmental noise levels might affect their hearing health, and the Health app on iPhone keeps track of a user’s history of exposure to sound levels.
Environmental sound reduction: Apple Watch users can see when the environmental sound level is reduced while they are wearing AirPods Pro and AirPods Max.
Active Noise Cancellation and Loud Sound Reduction mode: Active Noise Cancellation uses the microphone to detect external sounds, which AirPods Pro then counter with anti-noise, canceling the external sounds before a user hears them. For those looking to still enjoy surrounding sounds, Loud Sound Reduction with AirPods Pro (2nd generation) helps reduce loud noises while still keeping the fidelity of sound.
Reduce loud audio: To set a headphone volume limit, users can go into Settings, then tap Sounds & Haptics (on iPhone 7 and later) or Sounds (for earlier models). They’ll then tap Headphone Safety, where they can turn on Reduce Loud Audio and drag a slider to a preferred decibel level.
Source: Apple
