Apple’s Hearing loss Epidemic is closer than you think

Summary

This video highlights the growing concern of hearing loss, emphasizing Apple's focus on this issue with the introduction of health features in AirPods Pro 2. It discusses a study commissioned by Apple and the University of Michigan, and a WHO report indicating nearly 430 million people suffer from hearing loss. The video delves into the causes, impact on society, and preventive measures, including the importance of noise-cancelling headphones. It concludes with a call to action for individuals and governments to prioritize hearing health to prevent a potential epidemic.

Takeaways

• 🎧 Apple's recent event highlighted the importance of hearing health, introducing new features for AirPods Pro 2 focused on preventing hearing loss.
• 🔍 A study by Apple and the University of Michigan, along with a WHO report, emphasize hearing loss as a 'silent epidemic' affecting nearly 430 million people globally.
• 📊 Moderate to severe hearing loss is defined by a higher hearing threshold, meaning sounds must be louder for the individual to hear them compared to someone with normal hearing.
• 🌐 Mild hearing loss is even more prevalent, affecting 1.15 billion people, indicating a potential epidemic if preventive measures are not taken.
• 👂 The cochlear, a part of the inner ear, contains hair cells that are sensitive to sound waves and can be permanently damaged by consistent exposure to loud noises.
• 📉 Decibels, a measure of sound intensity, increase exponentially, not linearly, meaning even a small increase in decibels represents a significant rise in loudness.
• 🚫 Common causes of hearing loss include occupational noise exposure and recreational listening at high volumes, which can be mitigated by using noise-canceling headphones.
• 🏥 The economic impact of hearing loss is substantial, with an estimated cost of around $979 billion, underscoring the importance of prevention and treatment.
• 🌟 Governments and companies have a role to play in preventing hearing loss, including providing better healthcare facilities, creating policies for workplace safety, and investing in hearing loss measurements.
• 👂 Personal responsibility is crucial in preventing hearing loss, with recommendations to use noise-canceling headphones and maintain lower volumes for listening to music.

Q & A

What was the focus of the Apple event segment discussed in the script?

The focus was on hearing loss and preventive measures, with an introduction of three major health features for AirPods Pro 2.

Which study and report were mentioned in relation to hearing loss in the script?

The study commissioned by Apple along with the University of Michigan and a report by the World Health Organization were mentioned.

How prevalent is hearing loss according to the World Health Organization report cited in the script?

Nearly 430 million people worldwide suffer from either moderate or higher grade hearing loss.

What is an audiogram and how is it used to measure hearing loss?

An audiogram is a plot created by testing an individual's ability to hear a range of frequencies at different volumes. It determines the lowest volume at which a person can hear each frequency, helping to assess the degree of hearing loss.

How many people are estimated to have a mild grade of hearing loss according to the script?

1.15 billion people are estimated to have a mild grade of hearing loss.

What is the cochlear and what is its role in hearing?

The cochlear is a part of the inner ear that contains hair cells, which act as receptors sending signals to the brain when they are moved by sound waves, indicating that sound is being heard.

Why is hearing loss damage often permanent?

Hearing loss damage is often permanent because exposure to loud sounds can permanently bend or even disconnect the hair cells within the cochlear, which do not regenerate.

How does the decibel scale work and why is it considered tricky?

The decibel scale is logarithmic, meaning that an increase in decibels does not represent a linear increase in loudness. For example, going from 90 to 100 decibels is a significant increase in loudness, not a small one.

What are the two main reasons for mild hearing loss mentioned in the script?

The two main reasons for mild hearing loss are loud noise exposure due to occupation and recreational music listening at high volumes.

What is tinnitus and what does it indicate?

Tinnitus is a phenomenon where a person experiences a constant ringing in their ears, often as a result of exposure to loud noises without protection. It indicates that the ear is not functioning as it should.

What steps can be taken at the government, workplace, and individual levels to prevent hearing loss?

Governments can improve healthcare facilities for audiometric evaluations and create policies for workplace safety. Workplaces can reduce noise levels, enforce hearing protection, and conduct regular audiometric evaluations. Individuals can use noise-cancelling headphones and reduce the volume of their listening devices.

Outlines

00:00

🎧 Introduction to Hearing Loss Awareness

The paragraph introduces the topic of hearing loss through the lens of an Apple event emphasizing the importance of preventive measures. It discusses the introduction of health features for AirPods Pro 2 and references a study commissioned by Apple in partnership with the University of Michigan, along with a World Health Organization report, to highlight the prevalence of hearing loss. The script also mentions personal experiences with noise notifications and the seriousness of hearing loss as a silent epidemic. The goal of the video is to explore the causes of hearing impairment, its impact on individuals and society, and potential preventative measures.

05:03

👂 The Science of Hearing Loss

This section delves into the science behind hearing loss, explaining how a hearing test is conducted to determine an individual's hearing threshold through audiograms. It discusses the difference between normal hearing and moderate to severe hearing loss, and the impact on daily life. The focus then shifts to the actual epidemic of mild hearing loss, affecting nearly a billion people. The paragraph further explains how loud noises damage the hair cells in the cochlea, leading to irreversible hearing loss, and emphasizes the importance of prevention. It also touches on the non-linear nature of decibel measurements and the significance of even small increases in decibel levels.

10:04

🏭 Causes and Impact of Hearing Loss

The paragraph explores the causes of hearing loss, focusing on occupational noise exposure and recreational music listening as primary factors. It also cautions against the use of cotton buds in the ear, which can lead to irritation and infection. The economic impact of hearing loss is discussed, with an estimated global cost of $979 billion. The video then transitions into a personal appeal for viewers to care about their hearing health and the broader implications for society and the economy. It concludes with a call to action for individuals, governments, and companies to invest in hearing loss prevention and awareness.

🛠 Preventative Measures and Solutions

This section discusses preventative measures against hearing loss from various perspectives: government, workplace, and individual. It suggests that governments should improve healthcare facilities for audiometric evaluations and create policies to monitor and prevent hearing loss. Workplaces are advised to implement hearing protection policies, reduce work shifts in noisy environments, and emphasize regular audiometric evaluations. Companies are encouraged to invest in hearing loss measurements for economic benefits. For individuals, the paragraph recommends using noise-canceling headphones to protect hearing and reduce the volume of music to safer levels. The video concludes with a final hearing test for viewers and a call to action to like and share the video to raise awareness.

Keywords

💡Hearing Loss

Hearing loss refers to an impairment of the ability to perceive sound, which can range from mild to profound and can affect one or both ears. In the context of the video, hearing loss is a central theme, with a focus on its prevalence and the potential for it to become an 'epidemic.' The video discusses how hearing loss can be caused by exposure to loud noises and how it can impact daily life, emphasizing the importance of prevention and early detection.

💡AirPods Pro 2

AirPods Pro 2 are a second-generation model of Apple's wireless earbuds, mentioned in the video as a technology that introduces health features to monitor and potentially prevent hearing loss. The video highlights how these earbuds can notify users when they are exposed to loud noises, which is a significant step towards raising awareness about the risks of noise-induced hearing loss.

💡Decibels

Decibels (dB) is a unit of measurement used to express the intensity of sound. The video explains that decibels do not operate on a linear scale, meaning that an increase from 90 to 100 dB represents a much greater increase in sound intensity than one might initially perceive. This concept is crucial for understanding how exposure to different noise levels can impact hearing health.

💡Audiogram

An audiogram is a visual representation of an individual's hearing ability, typically created during a hearing test. It plots the lowest volume at which a person can hear different frequencies and is used to determine the degree of hearing loss. The video uses the audiogram to illustrate how hearing loss is measured and to explain the significance of different thresholds in relation to normal hearing.

💡Hair Cells

Hair cells are sensory receptors in the inner ear that play a critical role in converting sound vibrations into electrical signals that can be interpreted by the brain. The video describes how exposure to loud noises can damage these hair cells, leading to permanent hearing loss. This explanation helps viewers understand the biological mechanism behind noise-induced hearing damage.

💡Tinnitus

Tinnitus is a condition characterized by a ringing or buzzing in the ears, often as an aftereffect of exposure to loud noises. In the video, tinnitus is mentioned as a sign that one's ears have been overexposed to noise and may not be functioning properly, serving as a warning to seek professional help and take preventive measures.

💡Noise Cancelling Headphones

Noise cancelling headphones are a type of headphone technology designed to reduce ambient noise using active noise control. The video suggests that using such headphones can help protect hearing by reducing the need to increase volume to dangerous levels to overcome background noise. This is presented as a practical solution for individuals to mitigate the risk of hearing loss in noisy environments.

💡Economic Impact

The economic impact of hearing loss refers to the financial burden that hearing impairment places on individuals, healthcare systems, and society as a whole. The video cites a figure of $979 billion to illustrate the significant costs associated with hearing loss, including healthcare, loss of productivity, and other related expenses. This underscores the importance of prevention and early intervention from a societal perspective.

💡Prevention

Prevention in the context of the video refers to the采取措施 to stop or reduce the risk of hearing loss. This includes using hearing protection in loud environments, moderating the volume of personal audio devices, and regular hearing check-ups. The video emphasizes that prevention is the most effective approach to dealing with hearing loss, given that damage to the hair cells in the ear is irreversible.

💡Active Noise Cancelling

Active noise cancelling is a technology that uses microphones to pick up external sounds and then generates an inverse sound wave to cancel out the incoming noise. The video explains how this technology can be beneficial for hearing health by reducing the need to increase the volume of music or other audio, thus protecting the ears from potential damage caused by loud sounds.

💡Hearing Test

A hearing test is a procedure used to measure an individual's ability to hear different frequencies and volumes of sound. The video script mentions a hearing test as a way to assess one's hearing health and to compare it with normative data based on age. This is used in the video to demonstrate the practical steps individuals can take to monitor their hearing and to identify any potential issues early.

Highlights

Apple event emphasized hearing loss and preventive measures.

Introduction of three major health features for AirPods Pro 2.

Mention of a study commissioned by Apple and the University of Michigan on hearing loss.

World Health Organization report highlights hearing loss as a silent epidemic.

Hearing loss affects nearly 430 million people worldwide.

Understanding moderate or higher grade hearing loss through audiograms.

Mild hearing loss affects 1.15 billion people, indicating a potential epidemic.

How loud noises permanently damage the hair cells in the cochlea.

Decibels are a non-linear unit of measurement, indicating a small increase can be significant.

The economic impact of hearing loss is estimated to be around $979 billion.

Apple's investment in hearing loss research and prevention.

Tinnitus as a sign of hearing damage and the need for professional help.

Government initiatives to prevent hearing loss through healthcare and workplace policies.

Workplaces can reduce hearing loss by controlling noise levels and providing hearing protectors.

Companies can benefit economically from investing in hearing loss prevention measures.

Individuals can protect their hearing by using noise-canceling headphones and lowering volume.

The importance of prevention in maintaining hearing health.

Encouragement for viewers to like and share the video to raise awareness on hearing loss.

Final hearing test for viewers to assess their own hearing.

Transcripts

So I was just finishing up

watching this Apple event

that happened a few hours ago.

Welcome to Apple part.

And well, there was a

segment in this wherein

there was a massive

emphasis on hearing loss

and preventive measures for it.

Today, we're introducing

three major health features

for AirPods Pro 2.

So there was also the

mention of this study

that apparently Apple commissioned

along with the University of Michigan.

And also this report by

the World Health Organization

as to how hearing loss is

perhaps a silent epidemic

that we don't really know about.

And I think I have a guess

as to who the culprit may be.

(upbeat music)

Thing is I use this for

several hours in a day

and I get those noise notifications

much more than I would like.

Now Apple introduced

this notification system

a few years ago.

I was much younger then.

So is all of this presentation,

all of the hearing

things that they talked about,

is it really very serious?

So in this video, I'm

actually gonna try and figure out

whether any of this

actually really matters.

Well, spoiler alert,

it really does matter.

That's a 1.1 billion with a B.

I'm also going to figure out

what causes hearing impairment

(static)

and what impact does it have,

not just on an

individual, but also on our society.

And ultimately we're also gonna discuss

what can we and the governments do

to prevent this from

becoming the next epidemic.

Stay tuned and let's figure this out.

(upbeat music)

(people chattering)

So let's start with the big document

which is going to form

the backbone of this video.

This report by the World Health

Organization on Hearing

clearly states that hearing loss

is quite a prevalent problem.

It says that across the globe,

nearly 430 million people

suffer from either moderate

or higher grade hearing loss.

Now what really constitutes a moderate

or a higher grade hearing loss?

Well, for that, we need to understand

how a hearing test is done.

For the study, the hearing

test was done as follows.

You are supposed to

hear a range of frequencies

going from low to high

at different volumes,

from very quiet

volumes to very loud volumes.

And for each frequency

tone that you listen to,

which will probably

sound something like this.

(low-pitched tone)

Each of that, you need to determine

what's the lowest volume

that you can hear that.

So let's say this frequency of 250 hertz,

you can hear it at about 20 dB,

and then you do that again

for the rest of the frequencies

and you create a plot for yourself.

So this is what is called an audiogram.

And through this, you can determine

what is your hearing threshold.

And by determining what

your hearing threshold is,

you can then really understand

what levels of hearing

loss are you suffering from.

If your threshold was about 20 dB,

you have pretty normal hearing.

But for moderate and

higher grades of hearing,

your threshold is much higher than 20 dB.

This means that the test

frequencies that you listen to

were audible to you at

a much higher loudness

than somebody with a normal hearing.

And as you can see, this

does have quite a big impact

on your daily life.

But for me, what

actually is already an epidemic

is perhaps the mild hearing loss.

Thing about moderate

and severe hearing losses

is the fact that it was once a very mild

case of hearing loss.

And you wanna know how

many people actually have

a mild case of hearing loss?

Nearly a billion people.

Now this is what the actual epidemic is.

1.15 billion people have

a mild grade hearing loss.

So if people keep continue

doing what they are doing,

moderate and even severe hearing losses

might not be that distant away.

So coming back to this, why

does this actually happen?

Why do some people

hear a certain frequency

at a certain level,

and while the others hear

it at a certain other level?

Well, to answer that, we

need to first understand

how loud noises affect our ears.

And for that, I tried to

read this very technical paper,

and this thing had very few images

that I can really look at.

So we might have to figure something out

to make you understand how

our ears work with loudness.

This is what the ear

looks like, by the way.

Sound waves enter from here, obviously.

I really want to highlight this part,

which is called the cochlear, cochlear.

Call it the coochie for the first five

minutes, by the way.

And within this lies the receptors

which send the signals to the brain

that just you're hearing something.

Now, those receptors

are called hair cells,

and they look somewhat like this,

more specifically, like

the bristles on this brush.

And this is, let's say, a sound wave.

So when a sound wave comes in,

they indirectly move these bristles,

thereby indicating to the brain

that, hey, there's something that you

should be listening to.

As you can see, these bristles

do regain their position back

after the disturbance,

but when you're exposed to loud sounds

for a longer period of time,

these bristles start to

look something like this.

Consistently loud noise

bends these out of proportion,

and it's a permanent bend.

Some of these are even completely

disconnected, by the way.

And this is the reason why

hearing loss damage is kind of permanent.

Now, one of the few

things that I was actually able

to understand through this paper

was the fact that this

damage is irreversible.

So prevention is the way to go with this.

And also the fact that decibels

are a very tricky unit of measurement.

So let's say if you thought that going

from 90 to 100 decibels

was just a little bit of an increase,

well, that is not the case,

because decibels don't

really work linearly.

And nobody mentioned

that this is not a PNG.

This is what we have, okay?

Going from 90 decibels to 100 decibels

is not a small jump.

It's insane how decibels work.

It's not insane, it's just math.

So let's say when

you're doing the hearing test

and you jump from 70 to 80,

it's not that small of a jump.

It's a big, big jump,

and the loudness is

much, much more intense.

I mean, just look at how

much the difference there is

between 100 decibels

and 120 decibels, my God.

I sometimes get

notifications that my environment

is at 100 and something decibels.

Now, I'm not gonna suffer by myself.

I'm going to give you guys

a reality check, I swear.

Be prepared for your first hearing test.

I said first, there's

gonna be many in this video.

So I'm sure you've been

in this situation before.

You're trying to have a

conversation with your friend

who's on the other side of the sofa,

which is about a meter and a half away.

Now, he works in a

place where he's exposed

to a lot of loud machinery.

I have a doubt that he

might be in a spectrum

of moderate to severe hearing loss.

And we can check that out,

but just having a

conversation 1.5 meters away.

If he's able to hear

me, his hearing is fine.

If he doesn't, it might be a problem.

So do you know that we have

a social media agency now?

Yeah, and it really doesn't matter

how many followers you have.

If you have any social media content,

which you feel is something

that you've been thinking about

for a long time, or any project, really,

that you can't really

get done by yourself,

we can help you out with that.

We can help you with YouTube,

we can help you with podcasts,

we can help you with Instagram reels.

Anything really that you

feel is worthy of social media.

Of course, if you'd like to get involved,

scan this QR code and help us help you.

Did you hear any of that?

(speaking in foreign language)

So what's the reason that so many people

actually have a mild

grade of hearing loss?

Now, if you take away the

more biological side of things,

which is infections and diseases

that lead to hearing losses,

there are two main

reasons why people have this.

First is loud noise

exposure due to occupation.

(loud noise)

Second is the recreational

music that you listen to.

You know, when you're

listening to your music

on your headphones, and it's so loud

that everybody else can

listen to your music as well?

Yeah, I'm talking about

that level of noise exposure.

Also, if you're one of those people

who likes to put those cotton bud things

inside of your ear, you

are not doing anything.

In fact, you are increasing

your chances of hearing loss

because you're irritating your eardrum

and also the case of having an infection.

So if you want to get your ears clean,

get a professional to do that.

Don't do that by yourself.

Please stop.

I don't think you can hear me.

Please stop doing that.

Do please.

Please stop doing that.

F*$K You in ASL

So I would like to believe

that you who are watching this

would at least now care

about your personal journey

of hair loss.

Not hair loss. Hearing loss.

I'm not trying to make this funny,

but why should anybody else care?

Why should the government care?

Why should companies care?

Why should anybody,

apart from you, really care?

Well, because people matter,

and if people suffer from hearing loss,

it'll severely impact their way of life.

And that would lead

to the biggest problem

that anybody ever fears of,

which is the economic

impact of hearing loss.

I don't think it's the biggest thing

that anybody ever fears.

That might be nuclear

catastrophe or something.

The thing is the

economic impact of hearing loss

is quite significant.

In this paper, for example,

it estimates how much hearing loss really

impacts the economy,

and it turns out to be

somewhere a very small number

of around $979 billion.

$979 billion.

This is so much more bigger

than what I anticipated it to be.

I guess this is why it makes sense

that Apple has invested so much.

In fact, even conducted a study

with the University of Michigan

towards understanding

as to why hearing loss

can be such a big problem.

So clearly, all of

these fancy notifications

are not just our marketing gimmick.

Apple directly benefits from the fact

that people have sound hearing,

and they have

obviously invested a little bit

into figuring out how.

Well, now it's time for

our very own hearing research

and the second test for

our hearing loss program.

I should not be calling it that, my God.

I'm sure you've been in

a place like this before,

with lots of construction,

lots of loud noises,

and if you stay here for

more than a few minutes

without any protection for your hearing,

then you move to a place like this,

which is much more

quieter, much more remote.

You can sometimes hear a

bit of a ringing in your ear.

This phenomena is called tinnitus,

and it's just your

brain playing games on you

because your ear is not

functioning as it's supposed to.

So if you feel like there's a constant

ringing in your ears

and it's happening more

frequently and for longer times,

perhaps it's time to see a professional.

And the question is, what can we do

to prevent this from becoming a

widespread epidemic?

Well, we can take a look at it from a

government perspective,

from a workplace perspective,

and from a personal perspective.

Let's first start with

the government perspective.

One of the biggest challenges

that any government

really has in this sector

is the fact that there's a

severe lack of professionals,

especially in the

countries which are rather poor

in comparison to its West counterparts.

So one of the first things that

government should really do

is provide a better healthcare facility

for audiometric evaluations

because the more

professionals that come in,

the more awareness there will be

towards the silent epidemic.

They can also help in

creating policies in workplaces

that can help monitor things better

and prevent hearing loss altogether.

So talking about

workplaces, what can they do?

Well, let's say they can

put a few policies in place

with help of the professional.

For example, it is stated that at 85 dB,

then the work shifts

should only be eight hours long.

If the noise level is higher, the work

shifts need to reduce.

Similarly, there can be more emphasis on

hearing surveillance

so that there are more frequent

regular audiometric evaluations.

In fact, if it's a

daily exposure measurement,

that can be one of the

most safe at practices ever.

There should be proper

use of hearing protectors.

And obviously, if possible,

there should be lack of use of equipment

which create a lot of noise.

But these are quite the

obvious points in this case.

What really companies should think about

is the fact of how much can

they really benefit from this.

Now, I did talk about

how the general economy

will be affected with hearing loss,

but I would also like to talk about

how the companies would benefit from this

by investing in hearing

loss measurements directly.

You can clearly see how

much you get in return

for every dollar that you've invested

in hearing loss measurements.

And these are marked by two

different set of predictions,

one which is more progressive

and one which is a bit more ambitious.

So you can actually make money

by investing in hearing loss measures,

which is what companies do, right?

Now it is time to talk about

what we as individuals can do

to prolong our hearing capabilities.

And the answer for it...

(drum roll)

You should be wearing your headphones.

But don't just any

headphones, noise canceling ones.

Let me explain.

So I hope you remember

this graph from earlier.

This is what we described as a sound wave

and we know already the

damage that it can do.

So the reason that these headphones

can be an effective

tool for sounds like these

is because they have something called

active noise cancelling.

What it means is that

for every sound wave

that is generated,

the active noise cancelling headphones

generate a wave of its own,

which is exactly the

opposite of the sound wave.

So what does that mean?

Destructive interference and no sound,

no waves entering your ears.

What I've started doing recently

is that I've started using

more of the noise cancellation

and just lowering the volume of the music

that I'm listening to.

It kind of then puts

me into my own waggle,

so I don't really understand what's

really happening outside,

which is good for an introvert like me.

And my notifications have

dropped by significantly

in the past few months.

And if you see September,

you'll see that I've only had one

notification until now.

At least now I feel a

little bit better about myself.

Perhaps wearing these

bulky ass headphones

with noise cancelling in them

might just salvage my

hearing in the long run.

So for the last time,

I would just like to

emphasize on the fact that

hearing is a very

fundamental sensory function.

It is important for critical

daily human functionalities

and any degree of loss that you will have

will have monumental

impacts on your daily life.

And like I have mentioned this

a thousand times before in this video,

prevention is the only

way, at least for now,

to take care of your ears

because of the fact that there's gonna be

another hearing test

going to happen right now.

Okay guys, we're nearly

at the end of the video.

That was quite loud.

So before we run the final test,

and we'll just like to believe that

if you like this video enough,

please do like and share.

I can't emphasize how much a

like and share helps us out

because when the YouTube gods see that

this is being shared and liked by people,

they tend to help us reach out to

a much larger audience

than what you already have.

And that's the biggest struggle that I

have at this moment.

I don't know how to get more people

to care for content like this.

In any case, I will

be here in a few days,

but if you can help me out,

that'll be very much appreciated.

So now let's do the final hearing test.

You're gonna listen

to a set of frequencies

and you have to just

determine which frequency

was the last one that was audible to you.

And just for reference, you'll also see

at what age generally

people are able to hear

that frequency.

So this can help you

assess whether your hearing

is suitable for your age

or whether you should be taking

corrective measures.

So I'm gonna go and get some coffee

and you should perhaps try this test out.

Thank you again for watching

and I'll see you in a few days.