How Apple's new health features aim to help those with sleep apnea, hearing loss

Apple is aiming to use its tech giant powers for your good with the latest health features coming to two of its products.

When it unveiled its latest generation of devices last week, the company announced its Apple Watch and AirPods Pro 2 would both be getting "breakthrough" updates that could impact the "billions globally" who have certain sleep and hearing conditions.

Specifically, an update will give the Apple Watch the ability to detect if a wearer has sleep apnea, and changes coming to the AirPods Pro 2 will allow it to test users' hearing or even double as hearing aids for certain customers.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the AirPods Pro hearing update on Thursday, making this the first over-the-counter hearing aid software device it has authorized. And on Monday, the federal body approved the Apple Watch's sleep apnea detection function.

Here's what to know about the new health features.

How the Apple Watch can detect sleep apnea

The Apple Watch can already help wearers see specific health metrics related to their sleep, like which stage of sleep they were in and for how long or when they likely woke up.

Now, with a new metric called Breathing Disturbances, the device will use its accelerometer to "detect small movements at the wrist associated with interruptions to normal respiratory patterns during sleep," Apple said.

Every 30 days, the watch will analyze this data for any consistent signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea. Since it's not a formal diagnostic tool, the device will then notify the user if it recommends seeking a doctor's care.

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Apple said this sleep apnea notification algorithm was validated in a clinical study in which every participant whose watch notified them of the signs had been diagnosed with at least mild sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is a condition in which a person repeatedly stops and starts breathing during sleep. It can cause other health troubles like fatigue, high blood pressure, heart or liver problems and increased Type 2 diabetes risk, according to the Mayo Clinic .

Because many of the symptoms occur while sleeping, the disorder is often underdiagnosed. Apple says its new software can fill in the gaps with a reliable tool.

In addition to sleep apnea detection, Breathing Disturbances will also allow the Apple Watch to more accurately assess restfulness of sleep, which can be influenced by alcohol, medications, sleep position and more, according to the company.

The feature will be available on Apple Watch Series 9 and the recently released Series 10 as well as the Ultra 2.

How the Apple AirPods 2 can assist those with hearing damage

Apple says the software update coming to its earbuds centers on three pillars of hearing health: prevention, awareness and assistance.

To start, the company says it wants to prevent the regular exposure to loud environmental noise that its study showed happens to 1 in 3 people. To do this, it's already introduced Loud Sound Reduction on AirPods Pro to reduce louder sounds while keeping them "natural and vibrant."

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Even if you don't feel you need to prevent hearing loss, the Hearing Test can make you more aware.

Apple says its clinical-grade audiometry test takes about five minutes. At the end, users will receive an audiogram and be able to see each ear's hearing loss and recommendations on how to proceed.

And just as sleep apnea is one undiagnosed condition, hearing loss is one that's frequently undiagnosed and untreated. Apple says its Hearing Study revealed 75% of those diagnosed with hearing loss haven't received the support they need, often due to cost and access issues.

Apple says with the AirPods Pro 2's new software, users can now utilize their earbuds as both a music tool and a hearing aid with the results of the hearing test. Their personalized results will be automatically applied when they listen to music, movies, games and phone calls without needing to adjust any settings.

Apple said the Hearing Aid feature was clinically validated in a controlled, randomized study.

The World Health Organization says 1.5 billion people are living with hearing loss globally. The condition — which can be caused by aging and exposure to loud noises, among other factors — has been linked to negative effects on a person's health and well-being, from relationships and work performance to cognitive decline and depression.

The new Hearing Aid feature will be available as a software update on the AirPods Pro 2.