AirPods causing tinnitus?

just to be clear I never had any load music using my iPod pro’s I used to listen to audio books. The constant high pitched sound started 2-4 weeks after I got them. When I suspected it might be the AirPods and si read other people experienced the same thing I stopped using them. I had the old style AirPods for years without any issues. I notified my doctor but and ordered a hearing test, but as we have shelter in place he recommended wait I schedule the appointment.

I purchased the airpods pro 2 weeks ago. When I used it for about an hour, I started to hear high pitch sound in my ear even after taking out the airpods. The tinnitus started and lasted for a day or so, and I logged a case to Apple and the next day I got a call from them who advised me to go and see an ENT specialist.

Around a week later, I used airpod again, this time over a period of several hours, and by evening, the tinnitus started again, and it’s continuing since then for a week now.

I went to an ENT specialist, and after doing the hearing test, he said that the cause is due to exposure to loud sound, but I couldn’t understand because I don’t listen to music that often (maybe max one hour a day) and the volume is always at moderate level.

I had been using Airpod 2 and Bose QC II for a while but never had tinnitus before that, so the most probable cause is due to airpods pro ANC or the pressure system..

I will contact Apple again to see what can be done, but if anyone has similar issue as me and the original post, please let me know.

@Ben-13

My AirPod Pros were screeching, and the ANC sounded like everyone/thing around me was under water. I had mine replaced twice through this:

AirPods Pro Service Program for Sound Issues - Apple Support

[Edited by Moderator]

Mine started in March. It's still here.

I have to say that it improved a bit, some days is less loud than others, but it's here.

I've tried to check with audiologist, dentist (to exclude it is caused by bruxism), physiotherapist (to exclude it is caused by muscles) and I'll meet another more specialized audiologist at the end of October.

Since then I did the following things to try to help:

1. No more AirPods (of course)
2. No more loud noises, I got some earplugs to keep with me just in case I'm exposed to loud noises
3. Healthier diet (no alcohol, no coffee, less salt... you can find some suggestion on what to eat online easily)
4. App - there are some apps on the App Store designed for tinnitus, they don't resolve the issue, but sometimes, when you can't stand it, they help a bit.

I'm trying all I can, honestly I hope my life won't be like this forever.

I don’t want to make any generalizations, I was put on a steroid by the doctor to see if it clears up the inflammation and/or tinnitus. It’ll likely be different for each person. Crossing fingers.

I often just have them in my ear for a zoom call, and then I leave them in for say an hour with nothing on at all, and when i take them out my ears are ringing. They are definitely causing it.

There seems to be a canned response that the solution is to see a doctor, not that there's a common link to complaints about tinnitus following using the AirPods. This thread is dancing on the edge of a major recall or law suit.

Mine seems to be lessening. It's most noticeable in the morning as I'm waking up, in fact, sometimes the ringing wakes me. I no longer notice it so much during the day and I'm three days from when it first started. By the way, I posted this on Facebook too and I'm hearing of others who experienced the same thing. Some now connecting the issue with their earbuds as well as AirPods.

I've had ringing in my ears for three days. I googled “tinnitus” and have none of the usual causes. Today I was starting to stress out because it seems to be getting worse. I realized I had been using my AirPods at a low volume to listen to podcasts to help me fall asleep. They were in my ears for several hours on Sunday (most of the time without sound). Monday is when I first noticed the tinnitus. I just googled “AirPods and tinnitus” and found this post. There are probably many thousands of people with tinnitus who have not yet made the connection to the Apple AirPods.

It’s unconscionable (but sadly, not at all surprising) that Apple is not investigating this.

There's a good chance if you stop using them altogether, the tinnitus will subside. It took about two weeks for mine to go away with zero use. I occasionally still use mine for Zoom calls but keep the volume very low and limit the amount of time to under an hour. The ringing I had was not severe but it would wake me in the morning which was annoying and alarming. I'm very disappointed that Apple hasn't addressed this as well. I've grown to trust their products and this issue is a major betrayal for loyal customers like me. Good that you're under a doctor's care, but I'm confident your problem is directly linked to the Airpods.

I mean, the AirPods Pro have an app that tells you how to “properly insert them in your ear” which is basically sealing all the sound into your ear canal without any chance for it to escape. It took two weeks at a low to normal volume (listening to music for maybe 90 minutes a day at the gym) to make my ears ring continuously and are ringing now as I type this. Before switching to AirPods Pro’s, I’d been using Powerbeats 3s for years with no issues. Regretting making the switch.

I love Apple and their products but I did a google search on the subject of AirPods causing ringing in both ears that doesn’t go away. Within a few clicks of my search I now find myself here realizing there are many others that have the same concern. 09/24/23

I got the Airpods Pro right at launch and very quickly noticed a lingering, high pitched ringing in my ears as well. I stopped using them for over a month and the ringing still persists.

I was not listening at loud volumes, but I was using them a lot every day. Mostly podcasts and YouTube videos in Transparency mode.

I have been able to lessen the effects of my APP induced tinnitus by doing a number of things. If 100% is the loudest it ever was, and 0% is silent, then I think I've gotten down to about 50-70% doing these steps:

*I did all these within the same day so I don't really know which one is working and which ones aren't. Sorry about that.

1. Listen to a continuous loop of pink noise during sleep or when awake. You can find many noise "machine" apps in the App Store. I use Sleep Cycle but it doesn't matter as pink noise is all the same. It doesn't have to be loud and you can play it in earphones or through a speaker(stay away from your APP, though!).
2. Do Austin Gohs tinnitus exercises https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztSBhvt4v-E&t=148s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsCTBeGrT8k&t=214s
3. Do the "reddit tinnitus cure" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBgkPOGD6gw

I don't prescribe to Chinese or any kind of "natural" medicin or know why these exercises work, or if any of this can give permanent relief. But it definitely seem to have helped a bit for me and urge all of you to try these things out. All of it's free and only requires your hands and a computer or device for watching the videos.

*I've also only experienced the APP tinnitus for a few weeks and maybe it's just going away by itself(it's been with me 24-7, except when I'm not awake. So I doubt it goes away by itself). I know next to nothing about the field of ENT or hearing so I wouldn't know anything about what's going on.

It’s sad to say that I have the same issue, but it started more than a year ago. I was using my 1st generation Airpods and once after using it I heard a continuous noise. It’s still here, never stopped and it’s like white noise. I went to several doctors, got a lot of ear test, otoneurological test, my blood pressure is not high so it can’t be the problem. All of my results were great, I consulted with my doctors about them. They don’t know what can cause it, it’s sad to say that I’m 17 years old and having tinnitus can be so annoying. I had to learn to live together with it otherwise I would have gone crazy. After that I never used Airpods again, I sold it.