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AirPods causing tinnitus?

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Re: AirPods causing tinnitus?

#121

Post by DHPersonal »

mdmglr wrote: post #109
fwlr wrote: post #98

Lifelong tinnitus sufferer here. The prevailing theory (edit: this is misleading, it is not the “prevailing theory”, I typed that without thinking. It is actually a new-ish/fringe-ish alternative to the actual prevailing theory of accumulated damage to ear fibers): The theory I subscribe to is that tinnitus is a breakdown of the ears’ and/or brain’s noise filtering and suppression mechanisms. Long-term use of white n…

My ENT recommended white noise long term especially for sleeping which I’ve been using for months. Based on everything I’ve googled the last few months this is the first time I’m reading the claim that “ breakdown of the ears’ and/or brain’s noise filtering and suppression mechanisms.” so I’m a little skeptical in what you are saying. My understanding is that tinnitus is the damage to the hairs in the cochlea. Which…

I've only heard or read various sources referencing the nerve / hair damage that you mention, with the audible noise being sometimes associated with the auditory system increasing its sensitivity in those frequencies in an effort to hear something from the damaged sensors.

Re: AirPods causing tinnitus?

#122

Post by makk »

projectazorian wrote: post #20
makk wrote: post #2

Based on personal subjective experience, my AirPods Max have definitely worsened my tinnitus. Given my 30-year history of tinnitus, I'm very careful about volume levels and I am certain that "too loud, too long" is not the thing that's made things worse for me. The only thing that changed is I started using AirPods, specifically the Max. I immediately noticed, when I first put them on, that I could hear better with t…

TMJ problem maybe? You unconsciously clenched your jaw in just the wrong way upon hearing an unexpected noise and it caused a problem with your jaw joint, possibly exacerbated by the headphone in your ear canal? It’s a common cause of tinnitus from what I hear, and anecdotally, my tinnitus is worse when my TMJ is worse. But mine is mild and intermittent so wouldn’t want to compare to your situation.

That's fair. I didn't mention that I've gone in for intraoral bodywork to try to address TMJ as a possible issue. It hasn't yielded results, unfortunately. That doesn't prove anything one way or the other, of course.

Re: AirPods causing tinnitus?

#123

Post by makk »

ctoth wrote: post #26
makk wrote: post #2

Based on personal subjective experience, my AirPods Max have definitely worsened my tinnitus. Given my 30-year history of tinnitus, I'm very careful about volume levels and I am certain that "too loud, too long" is not the thing that's made things worse for me. The only thing that changed is I started using AirPods, specifically the Max. I immediately noticed, when I first put them on, that I could hear better with t…

I have been hesitating to buy headphones with ANC after noticing similar anecdotes in reviews[0][1] of the Sony Wf-1000xm4. As a blind person my ears are super-important to me, and I am pretty sure that something's going on here with most ANC today. This feels like it's gonna be a big deal here in a couple years with some form of class action. [0]: https://www.reddit.com/r/sony/comments/vl3cpb/wf1000xm4_and_... [1]:…

If there is a causal link and someone finds it with high enough confidence, then yeah it feels like a class action lawsuit is inevitable.

Re: AirPods causing tinnitus?

#124

Post by npteljes »

blindriver wrote: post #4

I wonder if it's the noise cancellation causing problems. I definitely hear a high-pitched noise from the noise cancellation feature and rarely use it at all specifically because of that, except very infrequently like on planes. Maybe the high frequency noise is damaging the ear drums at high frequencies? But I can definitely say I do not have tinnitus despite wearing AirPod Maxes quite often.

I was looking for this comment - I have a different ANC headphone, and I definitely noticed that it puts a new kind of pressure on my ears. Not often, but only when the ANC is activated, and when I have been using it for an extended time. No tinnitus here either, just something I noticed.

Re: AirPods causing tinnitus?

#125

Post by inglor_cz »

My very good friend works in a hospital as an otorinolaryngologist, specializing in hearing damage and hearing aids. I actually met her today for a long walk.

According to her, tinnitus rates have absolutely exploded over her career (since 2002) and the correlation with frequent use of earbuds is very obvious.

I know that correlation neq causation and all the stuff about anecdata, but I am not willing to dismiss concern of a doctor who, in the last 20 years, has seen thousands of people with hearing problems.

Re: AirPods causing tinnitus?

#126

Post by erlend_sh »

karlding wrote: post #119

I don't own AirPods, but one of the things that I've struggled with after the proliferation of headphone jack removal is that on all the Bluetooth headphones/earbuds I've tried the lowest volume setting is still too loud. I normally use Shure SE215s wired, but I've tried the Sennheiser PXC550, Sony WH-1000XM3, Jabra Elite 7 Sport with similar impressions, and tried using my work 2021 MacBook Pro as the audio source i…

Bought 1MORE BT per Wirecutter’s recommendation and I’ve had the exact same problem, complete with tinnitus tendencies. The minimum volume seems highest when connected to my iPad.

Re: AirPods causing tinnitus?

#128

Post by pas »

bornfreddy wrote: post #112

This is my biggest reservation against using (any) noise cancelling headphones. IIUC, they work by emitting the same frequency sound, a bit delayed, which cancels the sound in the targeted place - but doubles its amplitude in vicinity, because this is how waves work (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong). I can't imagine being blasted with a loud sound in the vicinity of our hearing organs is very healthy. Instead, I…

you would hear it, and it would not work. it works because it emits at the right time, not delayed, to cancel it so perfectly that it's below the noise floor for your ears

usually what we hear is the shitty Bluetooth and coil whine

Re: AirPods causing tinnitus?

#129

Post by WalterSear »

bornfreddy wrote: post #112

This is my biggest reservation against using (any) noise cancelling headphones. IIUC, they work by emitting the same frequency sound, a bit delayed, which cancels the sound in the targeted place - but doubles its amplitude in vicinity, because this is how waves work (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong). I can't imagine being blasted with a loud sound in the vicinity of our hearing organs is very healthy. Instead, I…

Early forms of active noise reduction did create the comb filtering effects that you describe, but these were never inaudible. Modern noise reduction is much better about this, however, and higher level products are actually used for hearing protection - this is used in headphones for fighter pilots.

The problem isn't the noise cancelling as much as people turning up the volume in loud environments, since earbuds don't reduce the outside volume as much as covered headphones do. So then they get the outside noise, plus the increased volume from the earbuds.

OT tip - I bought a pair of cheap $30 noise protection ear muffs that I am rarely without when travelling on damagingly loud public transit, such as when I'm commuting on underground rail. They are conspicuously large and odd looking, but my earbuds fit nicely under them, and the travel and listening experience is greatly enhanced, and pleasantly much quieter.

Re: AirPods causing tinnitus?

#130

Post by prpl »

I stated having tinnitus after wearing airpods (gen3, but dropped to gen 2 ) last year. I’d used big headphones and standard issue wired headphones for years. Even went to an audiologist to get hearing checked. I’d concurrently had a bad sinus infection, but the tinitius started earlier. I think the tinnitus has gone down in the last several months finally (or I am more used to it?) but it was intense.

For the record, I’ve played guitar for 20+ years, in bands, and listened to thousands of hours of music, been to thousands of shows, etc… so I know what tinnitus from loud music feels like. This was something else.

I stopped using headphones at home almost completely

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