Allergic to AirPod Pro eartips

Interesting post, Xenion. Any idea whether Apple will exchange the tips for those of us who have had severe allergic reactions, rather than having to pay for new ones? I am not mean but just think it is incumbent upon Apple to do this...

I am in no position to give medical advice or speak for what Apple should do, my main goal was just to share my experience. I personally see only very low financial risks of just testing the replacement tips by Apple given the mentioned return window of 30 days(?) and the quite low costs of the replacement tips. You can just order them online using their store App.

In general of course, take care of your ears and go to an ENT doctor. Even right now with all those lockdowns (like here in Germany) it is possible and worth the effort. I visited my ENT three times in total and had him check my ears to understand what was happening. I was quite scared to have lasting problems, luckily all got back to normal. He refused to give me antibiotics and only gave me a very mild cortisone creme.

I personally was very shocked from the strong reactions of the AirPod Max. It was also quite sad is really believe those are excellent headphones and I really loved how Apple designed them so you can take them apart completely with just screws and plugs. The only reason I kept trying the AirPod Pro route again was because I knew I had no issues with my first pair that broke.

How long were you wearing your first pair for before they broke and then how long wearing the 2nd pair till you had symptoms?

your post is very interesting.

I’ve still got my APP’s (not worn for months) as awaiting apple to reply to my emails re: refund (I do have a case open which is supposedly with customer relations, since December!) and I’ve just smelt the tips. They do smell like you describe so am very intrigued at the official replacement tips.

As stated, I was an early adopter of the AirPod Pro so I got them upon release and used them for like 12 months give or take until the right AirPod fell down hard and something got loose inside it. I used them for some months with this damage but the clicking noise was too annoying so I switched to the new ones around Q3 last year and early Q4 I had my ear infections and started getting to know my ENT doc.

In your case it sounds like you could give it a shot, I can't judge your financial situation but again my guess is that it is not too much of a risk both cost and return policy wise. I can also not guarantee that all will be like the ones I got, however I only picked the tip in a forum online myself so there is hoping :-) Good luck! and greetings from Berlin

So you used for over a year without issues?

I think the majority of cases I have read seem to be having reactions within 3 months or so.

I may order some tips (£8) as soon as I work out what size they are however the sceptical side of me thinks it is something else as I also tried foam tips and still got the same reaction (as have others) and don’t want to risk a few weeks of ear drama over a 30 min test.

To confirm again, yes I used my original AirPod Pro for roughly a year without any issue, then they physically broke and I got a brand new pair which led to immediate issues. Thus my uneducated guess is that the eartips are done in different manufacturing batches. Thus the immediate better result with the replacement tips.

Yes the struggle with the replacement tips is that they only come in one size whereas the original package contained all three S/M/L. I solved this by just checking which I had last used (M in my case) and ordering solely these. It was just a test for me anyways with so far (knock on wood) a good result.

It's slowly crystallizing that it's more likely due to newer AirPod Pro. There was apparently a change in the production process (replacement due to noise knocking) a few months ago. I had the problem after the replacement starting in November. Severe itching, oozing in the ear, dander in the ear canal. Woke up at night several times.

By chance, while searching the web, I got the idea that it could be due to the APP and found it here.

Previously, I had tolerated the AirPods Pro from March until they were replaced. The new AirPod Pro had a strong odor in the charging case (sweetish smell) which occurred again and again when charging. Since also in the Apple forum many others have tried foam plugs and various and the reaction is recurring it is rather the AirPod Pro itself or the escaping vapors!? I have since sold them.

Annoyed a bit not to have reported it to support. Have not been able to wear them since mid-December and have partly now in February still scaly skin and itching in the ear.

Professionally, I have to talk a lot on the phone and now have concerns that now a permanent intolerance to headsets, etc. has arisen.

By the way. I tried the old original tips on the replacement APP itself, and it was the same. I think they changed something on production process. This odorous of the APP in the charging case after charging can’t be healthy.

I had some of the near original APPs. And this thread has been going on since the start basically. People have had issues with the APPs nonstop. If there is some batch that doesn’t cause problems, we have not found them.

Just stumbled upon this forum. I can't believe how many people have the EXACT same problem as me! Bought the pros - love the sound! Hate the reaction. I ended up getting a double ear infection - a round of antibiotics etc! But it kept coming back! And I just cant wear them anymore. I stopped wearing them over Christmas, as I wasn't working and all pain and irritation went away. I honestly thought it was just me having a weird reaction, so did nothing about it. But today, for the first time in nearly two months, I went on a 45 mins walk with my AirPod Pros in (thinking maybe the reaction was just a moment in time) and I am now sitting here with itching burning ears. We all know these pods are expensive, and for the sound quality deinfitely worth it, but not for the reaction. Apple are entering a new era of wearable devices which are going to become more and more symbiotic with our bodies, they need to get the science right! Clinically test the product - not just for sound but for medical issues. Warnings should be on this packaging.

If anyone has a solution - besides jumping through the Apple hoops for a refund - I'd be very grateful. Also, someone mentioned that we are helping Apple by jumping through said hoops, but honestly this is their forum - they could be proactive and not wait for us to call them!!

Thank you for participating in the Apple Support Communities.

We want to make sure you reach the right team for help with your AirPods Pro. We recommend that you contact Apple Support directly. Depending on your region, you may be able to reach them here: Get Support

I do not deny that many have had the problem since the release. But it is striking how many more have had it since the exchange is possible with these knocking noises. It seems there was a change in production process. For me, it has also only begun with the exchange. And this smell when charging the AirPods Pro.

I couldn't believe it but the Airpod Pros are causing my ears to leak fluid as well! I couldn't figure it out! I had no other ear infection symptoms nor did I have a cold, runny nose, or sinus issues. Besides the leak, I was in good health otherwise. I have been using my Airpod Pros for a couple months now but usually for conference calls and typically no more than an hour. But, recently when I couldn't sleep at night, I started using my Airpod Pros with my phone to watch movies. Then after a few days, my ears started to get really itchy inside the canal and then they started to leak fluid. I thought it was an ear infection so after a week, I set up an appt to see my Dr. I didn't get in until about 5 days later and by that time, which was almost 2 weeks after it started, the issue had just cleared up. She said she could see no sign of an ear infection at all. I asked if it were an allergic reaction or something and she said maybe but couldn't figure out what it could be from and I didn't connect it to using the Airpod Pros at the time. I was just happy it was gone. But, I started wondering about the Airpod Pros so I started to use my plug in pods to watch movies for several days with no issue with my ears. I decided to try using my left Airpod one evening. I fell asleep and in the middle of the night I pulled it out and shortly after my left ear started draining fluid again. My right ear remained fine for several days. To further prove my point, I decided to try using my right Airpod a few days later after it remained to be ok to be sure it wasn't an ear infection. After about an hour, I took them out. All seemed fine. But then a few hours later, my right ear started to leak fluid. This is an unusual coincidence but I am concerned at what is causing this reaction after using the Airpod Pros. I am going to the Dr to explore this theory and see what is going on. I am bummed b/c I loved the Airpod Pros. Was amazed at the noise cancelling effect. But sadly, they will be put down. I won't even think about handing them down to one of our kids, as we usually give them our hand me downs, but I am worried about what is causing this problem. Sad to say that these posts are from a year ago and am disappointed as it seems like there has been no progress on this problem.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - it’s not the silicon buds (yep they do smell noxious though!) as I’ve replaced them with different 3rd party buds and still had the same problem. I was having a lockdown chat with my mate last night and he mentioned he had the same problem and had tried replacing the buds with memory foam ones - didn’t fix the issue for him either. The symptoms are not consistent with an allergic reaction but they are consistent with burns! Think about sun burn and it’s effects - doesn’t hurt straight away, it’s delayed and the effects are cumulative over time, bad burns result in pain, itching and weeping, scabbing and crusting and eventually dead skin shedding - well these are the symptoms I have when I wear my APPs. The skin inside the ear is thin and sensitive - yet you can stick your fingers in there all day, have all sorts of allergens get in there that would cause allergic reactions in your eyes, nose or throat; lay on a pillow covered in cat/dog hair that you are allergic to without any ear reaction and yet the focus on this group is continuously brought back to allergic reaction.  Maybe there is a (very large) faulty batch or manufacturing process that has resulted in APPs that push out too much Radio Frequency (RF) power that is causing burns. Remember these things communicate with each other using Bluetooth radio through your skull and the very first point of signal attenuation is your ear.  So to put this to bed once and for all I inserted the original tips by themselves in to my ears for several hours - no problem at all!  So removing the primary suspect from the investigation leaves an alternative hypothesis - its RF radiation burns from the APPs themselves. That may also explain the claims that Apple AirPod Max over the ear headphones are having the same effect on some people when they don’t insert anything into the ear canal at all. 

Well whether it is the Bluetooth or not nothing would surprise me as China is known to sneak in “questionable” ingredients into products. The first time I had this issue was in September 2020 which cleared up. The second time, which made me suspicious of the AirPods was in December. I am still having ear problems since then. Dry skin on the outer ear, occasional fluid drainage, and now excessive ear wax in the inner ear.

Don’t get me wrong, Bluetooth is inherently safe and used in lots of products including other brand’s earbuds. But, maybe, just maybe, there is a fault with the power output or maybe with some other component - but the symptoms are typical of burns and RF is more than capable of causing burns.