AirPods causing tinnitus?

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’ve been wanting to respond and maybe provide some reassurance to folks and how I have gotten better than I was with the tinnitus. It was horrible at first and took a long time to diminish with some effort. I sent the AirPods back and was able to get a refund. I tried using over ear headphones and earbuds but both made the tinnitus worse after the ringing had started. I haven’t used ear buds (unfortunately) for a couple of months. I used masking (free Widex Zen app) to be able to sleep when it was really bad. This was recommended by my audiologist who also confirmed no hearing loss. Then I decided to try not having silence around me because that’s when I noticed it most. It seems like we can retrain the brain to ignore this signal but only by training it to be distracted by other, non harmful sound. So I listen to audiobooks on a small wearable Bluetooth speaker much of the time if there is not some other background noise. After many weeks of this I can say that my ringing in the left ear is only noticeable at times. It is much, much better, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to wear earbuds again. Hope that helps somebody.

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i've actually had this same problem. just bought airpods pro a week ago, put them on for the first time and this high pitched ringing sound started developing (i guess tinnitus). i hear it without the airpods pro on, and when i think it's almost gone, it gets refreshed whenever i put the airpods back on, thinking the noise wouldn't come back but it always does.

i was on the verge of returning them, but wanted to do more research. i searched this problem some more and found this other thread. i tried again, this time shoving them in my ear and making sure it's sealed, and voila, the high pitch noise is gone. granted, the tinnitus is still there from the first times i've used them (and i hope it becomes milder), but i guess i found the source of the issue.

for those of you getting a high pitch sound, make sure that the earphones are sealed when you wear them.

for those of you who don't experience the high pitch noise and want to, try wearing the airpods pro like normal earphones (hanging in your ear, not stuffed in, like normal earphones), and enjoy some high pitched ringing (warning: may cause/trigger tinnitus).

btw these experiences have all been with noise cancelling on. the other modes, transparent and off, have been fine, if not better.

as for me, i'm going to return these. as much as i want to keep them, they're too inconvenient to have to shove into my ear, or risk refreshing tinnitus (tough tradeoff lol)

Hi All: I posted here a few months ago about my tinnitus issue with Apple's AirPods Pro. I wanted them mainly for noise cancelling while I slept, but on the morning after the third night wearing them overnight I had a very distinct high pitch ringing in my ears. It was very distinct and unlike any other morning after waking up. It was like someone walking beside me with a high pitch tuning fork beside my ears. I immediately stopped using them - returned them to Amazon - and received a full refund. The noise cancelling feature worked great - but not at the expense of tinnitus - which can become permanent. If you experience any sign of high pitch ringing in your ears then stop using the AirPods immediately. I thought they would be OK as I always use my Bose noise cancelling over-ear headphones on overseas flights of up to 17 hours (no flights recently) and have had zero issues with them. I'm fine now and the high pitch ringing in my ears subsided after a couple of weeks of not using the AirPods.

I also have tinnitus prior of owning the airpod pros, and yes, when I first tried the pros the tinnitus got worse, but this is not exclusive to the airpods, I get the same problem with my sennheiser gsp500, even tough I notice this with the sennheiser right away.

That said, some in ears and headphones I have actually seem to remediate the problem, like the sony mdr 1A, the razer hammerhead, and some chifi like Tinhifi P1, T4 and Ikko OH10 actually seem to work in a way that the tinnitus seem to be at a moderate level if not better, I can use the sony mdr 1a all day without much issue.

Maybe this have to do with an specific frequency response. If the iphone had some kind of system wide equalizer we could remediate this by identifying the problematic frequency and turn it down a bit.

Edit: I just realized that the iPhone have one equilizer option called "Late Night", this one seems to affect all apps on the iphone, even Tidal. Maybe its worth a try.

I have noticed this same problem too since using AirPods Pros with my iPhone XR for only about twice a week for an hour each time when I go jogging (so not that much) and listen to podcasts at a very low level (I listen at about 20-25% volume). Let me preface this theory I'm about to give with "I am not an ear doctor" but my rudimentary understanding about noise cancellation is that it emits sound wave frequencies that are working in exact opposite to the general white noise you hear outside. So if you imagine a sound wave drawing that has peaks and dips, if the same sound wave is played to emit a dip where the other has a peak it would create a flat line that would negate the sound frequency (probably a huge oversimplification). So my theory would be that the noise cancellation signal that is emitted includes frequencies that go higher than most human ears can hear (like 20-30khz). So while it negates the background noise it is also providing very high frequencies that may not need cancelling because they are inaudible to most people (younger people can hear higher frequencies). If you get frequencies that are not needing cancelling out your ears would be receiving high frequencies you wouldn't notice but could be possibly damaging after long term exposure. I certainly notice a difference in the ringing of my ears after using the AirPods. I am going to start using them without noise cancellation and see if this helps.

I've owned Apple AirPod Pro's for about a year now. I primarily use them for work conference calls (3 - 4 hours every day). I also listen to music sometimes (classical or movie soundtracks), but not at high levels. About a month ago, I developed tinnitus in both ears. I have a very high pitch ringing sound in my right ear, which varies in intensity and a lower pitch varied ringing in both my ears. I've been to my primary care provider, an ENT and had my hearing tested. My ears and hearing are perfectly normal, except for the tinnitus. At its worst, I couldn't sleep for four days. It was horrible. So I stopped using the AirPod Pro's all together for several weeks and my tinnitus significantly improved, but it hasn't gone away entirely. In particular, the varied ringing I hear in both ears almost completely went away (it drastically reduced in volume) and the very high pitch ring in my right ear seemed to come and go. I had days where it was gone entirely. With things improving, I recently started using the AirPod Pro's again for work conference calls (2 - 3 hours per day). My tinnitus is now back again, just as it originally started. I'm not looking for medical advice, but I wanted to share my experience since others are having similar issues. For me, it's not hearing loss induced tinnitus since my hearing is perfectly normal. In my opinion, there does seem to be a correlation between wearing the AirPod Pro's and increased tinnitus symptoms. Since everything has been checked out by doctors and audiologists, I do think the AirPods Pro's either caused or majorly contributed to the ringing I'm currently experiencing in my ears. I do think perhaps it's something with their ANC technology. I love Apple products, but I won't be wearing the AirPod Pro's anymore. I do hope at some point Apple addresses this issue since there are a number of people reporting same or similar problems. For those suffering from tinnitus, there are some great tracks on YouTube that really help mask the ringing sound. I'm happy to share the ones that I've found helpful. Best of luck!

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.

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/

At no point are audio levels unsafe during use. The problem is the faulty ANC function which is causing tinnitus in consumers. There’s clearly a problem as ENTs are advising the public to stay away from AirPods and other ANC headphones.

I had reported here earlier: On only my 2nd use of new AirPods Pro in Oct. 2021, on noise cancellation only, not with music etc., after only 2 hours of use, I lost complete hearing in one ear. (My first use of the AirPods was for a phone call--no loud music, etc. I never listen to loud music.) Over the next 2 days most of the hearing seemed to return but I immediately saw an audiologist (2x) and an otolaryngologist who did tests and found I had some loss in both ears and significant hearing loss in one ear in "the upper registers" (high-pitched sounds). I also developed mild tinnitus. The doctor could not identify a cause--sudden loss happens, she said, in young and old. A 2-week course of oral steroids did not help so the loss is permanent. I had fine hearing prior to this. I returned the Air Pods convinced that they were the cause as no other health or situation causes were present. I have what seems to be permanent mild tinnitus. This was all extremely upsetting given the cost and supposed fine technology of AirPods. (My Bose QuietComfort II headphones never caused me a problem.)

I’m a medical professional, and have been using the airpod pros since launch . I used the basic ones prior to the pros. Since using the pros I have noticed moderate hearing loss, and more and more frequent tinnitus bilaterally. I need the sound reduction but also don’t want permanent hearing loss . I have taken time off of the AirPods and the frequency of occurrences reduces. However when I wear them for calls for 2-3 hours I surely lose low frequency sounds and more tinnitus. I think a retrospective study should be done by all users. This is highly correlated, and until I have read this forum , I thought I was alone .

I'm posting after I first posted here 3 or 4 months ago. I have been to various doctors and I will tell you about my experience. I am NOT a doctor, but I can speak to what I have experienced. Did AirPods cause tinnitus? I don't know. And it is practically impossible to prove either way. I did several rounds of audio testing and it was discovered I had no hearing loss associated with the tinnitus. It was so bad for 2-3 weeks - it was unbelievable. This was in late January and mid-february. Since then it has gone the way my doctor said it likely would. It has slowly, very slowly, decreased. Now I am affected by it less each week than I notice it. I don't know if this will happen for everyone, but it happened for me. I was told that the majority of tinnitus cases will see a decrease severity across the first 6 months or so. I still notice it at times (I seem to be affected by salt, but I can't completely confirm that). When it does get worse, it usually goes away within six hours or less. When I was first affected by it I also suffered dizziness and exhaustion. It's possible I had a virus, there were signs of a sinus infection (Had an MRI) and you probably found out reading about tinnitus, there is no easy diagnosis or cure. I stopped most of my salt intake, next to no foods with added sugars. So I don't know what worked or if anything did. But it did get better. It is getting better, but very slowly.

Question for the people who experienced tinnitus with the AirPods:

Have you been using the AirPods only in one ear?

Single-ear Airpod use can cause an imbalance for the hearing mechanism, but also, people often listen to louder volumes than usual, when using only one airpod. This is because the open ear is hearing the outside, so you tend to increase the volume to hear the single AirPod better. And you would believe that the volume is not that loud due to the open ear, but in fact, it might sometimes be twice as loud as normal.

No, we don't. The paper is about the frequency of hearing loss among students that use using electroacoustic devices. I think it is general known that you can get hearing loss from using devices. There is a clear relation between volume & duration and hearing loss. Also in the paper mentioned above, the authors state that 1/4th of the sample listen on high volume settings and almost 80% listen more than 1 hour on a daily basis. There is absolutely no science behind the statements that are made in this topic. Because:

(1) There is no correlation between specific models, like the Apple one, and hearing loss.

(2) There is also no correlation between noise cancellation and hearing loss.

One of these points should is necessary to be able to call that there is science behind all these claims. It is more likely that the conclusions are too made in this topic are not correct and that there is another cause for percieved hearing loss/tinnitus. Unfortunately, I have the idea that most people in this topic are blind to that and keep exposing their ears to risks.

Best regards, a noise-induced tinnistus/hearing loss sufferer.