S C R U B B I N G U P
Characterising tinnitus
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 .
As for tinnitus levels , the majority found it to be 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 .
In addition to the survey questions , participants who experienced tinnitus also completed an app-based sound test to better characterise their experience of tinnitus , matching the type and quality of the sounds they experience .
The majority of participants described their tinnitus as either a pure tone ( 78.5 %) or white noise ( 17.4 %). Among those who described a pure tone , 90.8 % reported a pitch at four kilohertz or above , similar to the tones in a songbird ’ s call . Additionally , for those who described a pure tone , 83.5 % identified their tinnitus as a single tone and 16.5 % identified it as a teakettle tone – a high-pitched , whistling sound .
For participants who matched their tinnitus to a white noise , 57.7 % identified 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 .
How Apple products can help
Apple technology provides a number of features to support hearing health with just a tap .
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 .
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 , cancelling 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 and 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 . �
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