AirPods causing tinnitus?

Similar problem here as well, using Air Pods Pro with noise cancellation for a few weeks now. I have now a persistent tinnitus.

My theory is that the noise cancellation and transparency are not adapting to the volume, even with low volume they emit the same cancelling noise. When i deactivate noise cancellation I can feel my ears relax, its a very strange feeling of relief, as if my ears were strained by the constant cancelling noise.

The fact that the transparency or noise cancelling is by default probably doesn’t help.

Tinnitus is often here to stay once you get it apparently, did anyone manage to recover normal hearing after stoping using the AirPods ?

My tinnitus was quite severe for a few weeks but I used masking and a cure audio. It still returns when I’m tired and stressed. Otherwise it gradually lessens for much of the day. I also had to stop using headphones at all before I noticed any improvement. Clearly something is going on and I wish something could be done about it. I hardly used them at all and now I have persistent tinnitus.

I received my Airpods around the same time--late December. Although I had some tinnitus previously, it had improved over time; once I began using the Airpods, there was a distinct increase in the volume and frequency. It's non-stop now and I stopped using my Pods as soon as I noticed this (after about the first 5 days of use--low volume music and podcasts). It seems to worsen when I'm tired in the evening/night.

I didn’t get my tinnitus from airpods but if you come here distressed about the constant ringing in your ears, I can certainly give advice having lived with this for 20 years. First, protect your ears and stop using airpods or anything you think is contributing to the ringing. Second, accept that you may have to live with tinnitus forever or until there is a cure which is unlikely. Third, if it’s distressing to hear ringing in your ears, know that although tinnitus might be forever, the distress will not be. You will eventually tune it out. Your brain adjusts. I don’t hear ringing unless I want to, meaning if I give attention to it like I am now since I’m writing about tinnitus, it can seem quite loud. But after I’m done writing this, it will go back into the background as usual. It can take a couple of months for this to happen but it will happen, I can guarantee it. So take care of your ears and don’t worry if you are right now. It will get better. Also, if it makes you feel better, go to a doctor but they were not helpful to me. A thorough hearing test may help to determine what frequencies you can no longer hear and here lies what the theory is, that the brain replaces that frequency you can no longer hear with ringing. Once again, take care of yourself. Getting a fan or a white noise generator helps or listen to music/environmental sounds (without AirPods). Hope this helps.

Wondering why you came here if you had no issue with AirPods but glad you did so thanks for this. ❤️😜

You are correct about T eventually going away. Removing certain inflammatory foods definitely helps too.

Please see my previous comments.

Airtube earbuds keep the electrical signal out of the ears. Hi end professional over the ear headphones without noise reduction work well too. Remember to keep the volume down. Also, for musicians with tinnitus musician earplugs can be found on Amazon. You can research ‘best musician earplugs’ and try different brands.

There is also a correlation between low vitamin D, B12 levels and tinnitus.

https://www.livestrong.com/article/422092-tinnitus-and-vitamin-deficiencies/

Go on your own journey to find yourself the "cure" but beware of snake oil salesman. I listen to science and the last article I read about any minor breakthrough was this:

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/10/electric-shocks-tongue-can-quiet-chronic-ringing-ears

So my intention of the post was just to hopefully give back to those suffering from tinnitus and hopefully comfort you in knowing that any discomfort or distress from it is temporary.

Can confirm the same thing happened with me as well! Bought Fri 5th, spent an 2 hours with them, noticed an immediate increase in tinnitus (before it was very low). Spent around another 2 hours with them over the weekend, with ANC off, but strangely the same problem was happening.

On Monday I had a work call, spent 4 hours with ANC off, the tinnitus was LOUD. After a week of not using, it went down slightly yesterday morning, but returned in the eve. This morning it lowered again. Im hoping it will continue to improve.

Definitely returning my Airpods pro!

Hello all, just a quick note to say that I am experiencing the same thing. I have been using the AirPod Pro for around a year. Recently, I have been hearing a very high pitched ringing in my ears (mostly right ear). Over this past long weekend, I did not use the AirPods very much and the ringing significantly reduced. However today, I used the AirPods for my conference calls and when I was done and removed the AirPods, the ringing was extremely intensified. Hmmmmm. Well, not taking any risks; I am going back to the hardwired version, for now. Hope everyone gets back to good health.

I’m healthy and they did the same thing to me after a few days of a few hours use for work, but hopefully I can use them again in the future. I used Bose previously and never had a problem. Please note I was listening to music one night for a few hours and stupidly fell asleep with one in my left ear... don’t do that! Haha

Very well said. Just curious as to how you and others who’ve written about this a year ago are faring. Also, It’s Feb 2021 and Apple still has not addressed this problem or reached out to any of us to say they’d investigate their product to find out what’s going on.

I am wondering about this too. It breaks my heart to read of new cases when they could have been prevented. I have had the tinnitus for about a month now and it’s been terrible. Has anyone heard back?

with several lockdowns and working from home, I am using my Airpod Pro for meetings a lot.

Last week I had two training days which I wear my Airpod for more than 4 hours on each day and in the night I started noticing high pitch sound and it remains since two days ago even after a day of not using it at all...

I used Headphones and listened to lots of music but never experienced this. I also believe wearing Airpods are giving me Tinnitus and I am extremely worried as my mum is suffering this for a long time...

@Apple needs to address this issue

I have very rarely listened to music on my ipod, and even then I have kept the volume very low. I hate loud music anywhere. I use it mostly for podcasts, audiobooks and learning foreign languages. I stopped wearing the AirPods about a year ago, when the tinnitus started soon after I began to use them. It grew worse, especially at night and in quiet surroundings. However, a few weeks ago I had a look at some of the videos on You Tube, in which various medical professionals give explanations and advice. I tried out some of the exercises with variable results. But one of them definitely has helped. I am no longer aware of the clicking and tapping sounds in both ears, going on non-stop all the time. When they do come on they are no longer as loud and unobtrusive. I don't know if the tinnitus will go completely, although I do hope so. I can't remember which of the many video clips I tried out, but the one that gives me the most relief and help is lightly tapping with my fingers all over my scalp for a few minutes. I hope this might be of some help to others. Meanwhile, I find it astonishing that there has been no mention of any enquiry into why the AirPods are ruining so many lives, and will continue to do so, until there is a public outcry. There should be a warning on the packaging, just as there is on cigarette packs. I see there are now 16 pages of comments here on this matter.

FYI: just thought I’d jump in here as there are many videos on cranial tapping on You Tube. It is just a temporary fix in that it sends a different signal to the brain and interrupts the flight or flight response (noise) which the brain creates via the sympathetic nervous system. I have a lot of info on it but unfortunately Apple doesn’t allow us to post any links. I can say deep breathing, yoga, meditation, anti inflammatory diet and atlas upper cervical adjustments have helped me greatly.

If you look up tinnitus success stories and healing techniques on You Tube that may help.