What Two Wellness Experts Discovered When They Took Apple's Hearing Test Using Their AirPods

According to the CDC, 48 million people in the US have trouble hearing with one or both of their ears. This doesn't just affect older adults -- the CDC also reports that five in 10 young people listen to their music or other audio too loudly, and 4 in 10 young people are around dangerously loud noises during events like concerts and sports games.

To better focus on our auditory well-being and discover ways to safeguard it, our wellness team opted to delve into this topic. Apple 'S Hearing Exam. Here’s what we discovered and our plan for doing things differently moving ahead.

What does the Apple Hearing Test entail?

In autumn 2024, Apple unveiled its clinically verified Hearing Test. Hearing Assistance and Protective Features To transform your AirPods Pro 2 into makeshift hearing aids, start with the Hearing Test which follows principles of pure-tone audiometry.

To take Apple's Hearing Test , you need the AirPods Pro 2 and a compatible iPhone or iPad The examination lasts approximately 5 minutes to finish. Initially, attach your AirPods Pro 2 to your iPhone or iPad Navigate to Settings, select your AirPods, then tap on Hearing Health and proceed with Taking a Hearing Test.

Anna's experience: Initially, I encountered no problems when taking the test. During my second attempt, though, I faced an issue where I needed to readjust my AirPods or switch to alternative Ear Tips before proceeding with the exam. After repeatedly shifting their position inside my ear canal and finding a silent spot by entering the bathroom and closing the door behind me, everything functioned correctly.

I thought the exam was easy and direct, yet concentrating just on the sounds proved challenging for me. To maintain focus—and avoid being sidetracked by the noise of my blinking—I had to shut my eyes. Despite my bathroom being the quietest spot in my flat, I could still pick up some external disturbances. Therefore, if you decide to take this test, I suggest finding an environment as silent as possible.

I appreciate that the outcomes get stored in the Health app, allowing you to review them later. In this app, you can also access details regarding ambient sound intensity, earphone volume settings, noise alerts, and educational content related to auditory health.

Nasha's experience: I discovered that the hearing test procedure was straightforward, thanks to detailed guidelines leading me through every stage. A significant hurdle for me, akin to what Anna faced, was locating an entirely silent setting. When I tried conducting the test from my office, even though it’s generally peaceful, the application kept instructing me to seek out a more tranquil spot. This suggests a possible drawback since numerous individuals might have difficulty finding areas compliant with the app's sound level criteria, particularly within bustling offices or homes.

As soon as I encountered a lull in the noise, I managed to center myself enough to tackle the exam. After only a short time taking the test, I discovered that shutting my eyes helped me better discern the noises. The examination requires identifying soft clicks at various pitches; although there were instances where I felt confident about detecting these sounds, there were equally frequent uncertainties. Could those have been beeps, or merely illusions conjured by my imagination? This situation highlighted the personal nature of auditory perception.

In general, Apple's hearing test serves as an effective means of increasing awareness regarding ear health. However, the requirement for complete silence might pose a challenge for certain individuals. This underscores that although home assessments can be beneficial, they cannot substitute for thorough examinations conducted by professionals.

What we learned

As stated by Apple, "The outcomes of a hearing test (audiograms) reflect the findings from an audiometric examination and illustrate your capacity to perceive sounds across various frequency levels, quantified in decibels (dBHL). In these measurements, greater values correspond to higher volumes required for audible detection."

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association indicates, "Decibels (dB) measure sound intensity. The unit dB HL represents the level of your hearing loss in decibels."

Using Apple's Hearing Test, the typical hearing level for both the right and left ears is determined by assessing the four key frequencies crucial for speech understanding: 500Hz, 1kHz, 2kHz, and 4kHz.

Anna's results: Lately, I've been concerned about my hearing, so I was pleasantly surprised that Apple's Hearing Test indicated that I have "little to no hearing loss." It specifically revealed that my left ear is 3 dBHL while my right ear is 5 dBHL. When I took the test a second time, my left ear was 2 dBHL and my right ear was 4 dBHL.

In other words, the degree of hearing loss in my right ear is greater than that in my left ear. I always thought my hearing was worse in my left ear, especially because I tend to have more sinus issues on my left side, so this was interesting.

It was great being able to access this info directly from my phone rather than spending time and money at an audiologist's office. Although Hampden Hearing Center Indicates that many insurance policies will pay for a hearing test if deemed medically essential; however, this can vary. Additionally, personal interest in one’s own hearing isn’t typically seen as meeting medical necessity criteria.

Nasha's results: My hearing test results showed that I have little to no hearing loss, which was reassuring. The results of the first test I took said my left ear is 3 dBHL and my right ear is 5 dBHL (same as Anna!). I took the test a second time because the first time I was at my office and there was a little noise from the air conditioner. The second time around, my results were even better than the first (this time, I took it in a quiet room in my home) -- my left ear is -6 dBHL and my right ear is 3 dBHL.

Considering my residence in New York, where noise pollution is an ongoing issue—be it from subways, construction sites, or traffic—I have grown increasingly conscious of this lately. This examination served as a strong reminder of the significance of taking initiative regarding one’s auditory well-being.

A major lesson for me is that even though my hearing is presently fine, prolonged exposure to loud noises might alter this. I've realized that routine urban sounds can lead to incremental harm to one’s ears over time. Ever since I took Apple's Hearing Test, I always have my Loop earplugs handy to use on trains or in bustling settings.

Loop Earplugs Switch 2: $60 at Loop Earplugs

What steps should we follow to ensure the well-being of our auditory health moving ahead?

After you're done taking your hearing test, you can read articles about how to protect your hearing and why it's important. In general, that's one of the great things about Apple's hearing features -- they remind you of how important hearing health is and that you should focus on protecting it.

Becoming aware of surroundings when exposed to high decibels

When exposed to high noise levels, like those found at concerts or noisy restaurants playing loud music, remember to let your ears rest afterwards. Alternatively, use ear protection. This advice also applies when using headphones. Currently, every time I listen to music, I inquire whether it really needs to be so volume-intensive.

Take hearing loss seriously

Long-term exposure to loud sounds can lead to permanent hearing loss. If I'm ever concerned about this to the point where it feels medically necessary, I will consult an audiologist. This is also important because I would also want to make sure that no other medical conditions are at play.

Stay mindful of other factors that might lead to hearing impairment.

Intense sounds are not the sole contributors to hearing impairment. Issues such as infections, head injuries, elevated blood pressure, diabetes, and oral health problems also pose significant risks for causing hearing loss. unexpected conditions which can result in hearing loss.

This article provides education and information solely. It isn’t meant to offer health or medical guidance. For concerns about your medical condition or health goals, please seek insights from a healthcare professional or specialist.