New Program to Combat Hearing Loss
The free HearWHO app allows users to take a quick hearing test on their smartphone to check their hearing. The app is designed to raise awareness of hearing loss across all generations.
With the HearWHO app, the World Health Organization (WHO) offers a simple way to check your hearing regularly. The HearWHO app is available for free in the iTunes Store and the Google Play Store. The smartphone hearing test was developed under the direction of Prof. De Wet Swanepoel of the University of Pretoria.
According to the WHO, the sensitivity and specificity are 85 percent—meaning the results are 85 percent reliable. So far, the HearWHO app is available in English.
How does the HearWHO app work?
Once you've downloaded the HearWHO app, you can start the hearing test right away. No special equipment is needed—just a pair of headphones and as little background noise as possible. The test consists of 23 number combinations that are read aloud in English against a background of white noise.
The user immediately enters the numbers they hear using the keyboard. Their test result is displayed immediately afterward. A score below 50 may indicate potential hearing problems. In this case, the HearWHO app recommends taking another hearing test with an ENT specialist or hearing care professional.
Raising Awareness of Hearing Loss Across Generations
The HearWHO app is also used as part of the Aeneas program of the international HEARRING network to raise awareness of hearing loss across generations. To that end, the program was introduced for the first time at a high school in Würzburg in the summer of 2024.
“With the newly launched Aeneas Program, we are pursuing two key goals: On the one hand, it’s about protecting the hearing of young people; on the other hand, we want to help identify older adults with hearing loss who have not yet received treatment,” explains Prof. Dr. Rudolf Hagen, president of the international HEARRING network.
Students at Dag Hammarskjöld High School are encouraged to use the Hear WHO app to motivate them to protect their hearing from noise—such as loud music. In addition, they are encouraged to test the hearing of family members, such as their grandparents. If the smartphone hearing test indicates possible hearing loss, the students should encourage their family members to undergo a professional hearing test with an ENT doctor or audiologist.
Incidentally, this aspect of care is also reflected in the name “Aeneas”: The Greek hero Aeneas saved his sick father by carrying him on his shoulders out of the ruined city of Troy. HEARRING is currently working on a German-language version of the app.
Hearing begins to decline after age 50
Starting around age 50, our hearing begins to decline. This age-related hearing loss often develops gradually and sometimes goes unnoticed—and untreated—for years. Age-related hearing loss is primarily caused by wear and tear on the hair cells in the inner ear. However, the auditory nerve and the auditory center are also affected by the aging process.
Regular hearing tests starting at age 50
According to the EuroTrak Germany survey, one-third (33%) of people aged 50 to 60 have never had a hearing test, and for 24 percent, their last hearing test was more than five years ago. To counteract this lack of hearing care and encourage people to regularly maintain and monitor their hearing, the BVHI and the German Professional Association of Ear, Nose, and Throat Physicians are calling for hearing screenings for people aged 50 and older to be included in the list of covered services provided by statutory health insurance plans.
The Scientific Institute for Applied Otolaryngology has developed a short questionnaire for this purpose and had it scientifically validated. It can be completed in just a few minutes during a doctor’s visit. This hearing test for people aged 50 and older can be administered by a medical assistant in a general practice or a specialist’s office. If the results are abnormal, the patient will be referred to an ENT specialist for a comprehensive audiometric examination.
Is there a return on investment in hearing care? To find out, the WHO conducted a cost-benefit analysis of various measures to address hearing loss as part of a model study. The result: Hearing care is actually very worthwhile.
You can learn more about this in our article, “How Cost-Effective Is Hearing Screening?”
