AirPods causing tinnitus?

It’s obvious. I used them for a week and I’ve had tinnitus for over 6 months.

I stopped using them and threw them in the garbage 5 months ago.

I suggest doing the same. They seriously had a terrible impact on my well being until I adapted and have learned how to manage the ringing in my left ear.

I seriously hope it’s not permanent but as of now it’s occurring every time I go bed.

its too bad because they weren’t cheap and have had a serious negative impact on my life.

I totally agree that something should be done and that apple needs to take a stand on this. Mu tinnitus occurred after using them for the first time and trust me it is bow at level 4. The best it goes down os level 2 and that only because I have learned and researched whatever I could and have come up with a monitoring solution which I’m now trying to get developed into an app. Tinnitus has me feeling less in control over my own body. What do you think?

Mine started after 10 minutes of use at Christmas and I returned them as soon as I could. The tinnitus is still there and comes and goes. What is interesting is that many (majority?) people are experiencing the noise in their left ear

Interesting observation. So it may possibly be something in that particular connecting signal that’s changing the neurotransmitters in the brain.

I wish Apple’s tech people would get on to this and look into it.

In the meantime someone contacted me with info on how to retrain the brain not to hear Tinnitus which worked for him and has for many others. I’m asking Apple to please let me share this info here because of so many people suffering.

1- Try not to think and read about your condition. The more you think, the more you will be a prison in this condition.

2- Avoid quiet environments as much as you can. You need to listen to pink noise ( read the instructions). 

3- Avoid ear plugs in daily life but this should be gradual until you can remove them during concerts etc.. We call this rehabilitation of hearing. i.e. in my first days of treatment, I could not play the violin without earplugs. now I can thankfully as my ear has been much stronger in handling sounds after hours of exposer to pink noise.  

To sum, healthy pink noise is crucial for your treatment. Try to use it as much as you can. Try to be exposed in daily life noise sounds as much as you can.

If you can visit a specialised audiologist that will be perfect. Remember, hyperacusis and Tinnitus are curable. It is just rehabilitation of your ears to become strong again and the professor in the lecture showed data regarding this. 

I hope this info can help and good luck with your journey. 

[Edited by Moderator]

I've had my airpod pros for over a year, and this problem started in the last 3 months. Perhaps an upgrade to the noise cancellation is causing this?

Very curious about the deafening (pardon the pun) silence from Apple on this health issue.

neilpet wrote:

Very curious about the deafening (pardon the pun) silence from Apple on this health issue.

This is a user-to-user technical support forum. Apple's participation here is minimal and largely limited to threads that have gone unanswered for more than 12 hours and which can be answered with a reference to a support article. I wouldn't expect to see them respond here.

Hello all,

I would like to join your group of AirPods users with tinnitus.

After long time of deciding I've bought AirPods 1st Gen. Before that I had no problems with my hearing, but when I put new AirPods into my ears, one of them (The right one) after welcome sound started to transmit a high frequency tone.

Now my right ear is playing the same tone to my brain despite I have not used my AirPods more than twice before sending them for a complaint. Unfortunately it was rejected and now I don't even have the option to return them, due to hygiene.

Hey mate, sorry to hear that as I know perfectly well how stressful that time is. Mine started just like yours bit on the left ear sadly already back on December 2018 and it still very much present. I am actually developing an app that will be helping people to monitor T. and take back a bit of control. All I would advise you is to make peace with it and make your T. part of you and maybe it will leave you at some point in time as you won't give it much attention anymore. I find it really sad that Apple hasn't taken any stand on this so far. If I can assist you let me know. Greeting from Luxembourg

Can you tell us more about your app? I’m not sure how much Apple will let you share so be aware your info might not get through. If I don’t answer you’ll know your communication has been blocked.

Thanks in advance.

This is what I hear from people all over the world all the time online. The more we engage in it the worse it gets. If we focus our attention elsewhere the parasympathetic nervous system begins to calm as it gets out of fight or flight and T eventually recedes.

Important Update: I took my Airpods to apple store. They have checked the sound frequency and found out that both Airpods have frequency issues and they are replacing them.

I asked them, you should test the new buds as well as I don’t want to ruin my ears if this one is faulty as well.

I suggest all of you guys to take your Airpods to the store

Same here, my tinnitus begin after 6 month of daily usage (low volume) of AirPod Pro. It was 7 month ago, it's still there, so I think it's for life :/

But good news! If there is no cure for tinnitus, you can do A LOT on the perception you have on it. My first month was terrible (no sleep /anxiety), I bought a good book of a person who explain how to "rewire" your brain, so the tinnitus is not a threat any more, it can even be associate to a relaxing state. It worked well. It absolutely not bother my now, even at sleep time. Once you achieved to stop thinking of it, your brain will remove this useless signal, and you feel like exactly like it's not here.

My second tip: take care of your ears. If something feel wrong (like the AirPod Pro) or heart even just a little your ears, don't use it. I should have stop using AirPods sooner. Now i'm using wired headphone for work (audio call) without troubles.

One thing I have found, that helps me greatly, when I'm about to go to sleep, is to do some deep breathing for a few minutes. And then do a yoga type body scan, starting with the toes and working my way up to the top of my head. I usually drop off to sleep before finishing, even with the tinnitus sound in my ear (or ears). Also, since I have been learning Spanish, I try to think of each part of the body, in that language. This concentration tends to take my mind off any sounds bothering me.

I have noticed that I am no longer getting the sounds all the time as before, but just now and then. And they don't seem so loud now. I just hope this will last and maybe get better.

I have contacted various science journalists about this problem, but none of them have bothered to reply to my request for them to make an enquiry into this problem. This remnds me of the lack of response, and the denial, that existed over smoking years ago.

Hey All, I'm 6 months after the initial onset and can definitely relate to what many of you are saying. Initially the anxiety due to the constant noise (mine varies wildly in pitch so it's really hard to ignore) was really hard to bear. I thought it would drive me insane and it was impossible to sleep through the whole night. I would wake up every two hours for months because my brain would think something was happening due to all the noise. After getting back into meditation, exercising more, doing things like reading before bed instead of watching TV, it has gotten much better. There are days when I don't even notice it and days where it's still bothersome, but it's so much better than it was in the beginning. I just got back from a trip to Disneyland and just due to the constant noise all day of the people and the exhaustion at the end of the day helping me sleep, I felt almost completely cured of it (I didn't think to check if the noise was still there the entire time). So I think once things start getting back to normal. We can be in noisy office buildings again, it will help us all. Just wanted to put that out there for anyone struggling at the beginning of this. It does get better.

Yep I just received my new AirPods Max and have been using them for about 1 week. But Since Thursday about 4 days ago, THERE HAS BEEN RINGING IN MY DARN EARS!! I went to see my doctor but they can’t do anything. Why the heck is this happening 🤔? I have been using the beats studio 3 for 2 years now and nothing changed until I got the Apple AirPods Max. I pray this is not permanent. They also did a hearing test on me and my hearing is fine. I just have ringing in the ears. WHYYY APPLE?? WHYYYY??