AirPods, or any form of ear pieces, are a great tool to listen to music, movies, or just focus better at work. To top it all, they also come with noise cancellation features that block a major part of outdoor noise such as traffic, construction work etc, making working at home easy and seamless. However, their prolonged use might trigger some adverse effects as well.

Loss in hearing
Social media user Prachi Patel took to her IG handle to share a 'janhit mein jaari' message. According to Prachi, she had been using AirPods since a year, along with their noise cancellation feature, that creates a bit of suction. With overuse, this suction weakened the nerves of her middle ear (an air-filled cavity located between the eardrum, and the inner ear), resulting in her losing 20% hearing from one ear, and 35% in the other. To make matters worse, she also suffers from Tinnitus now, which is the perception of sound in the ears or head, when no external sound is present. Both conditions are largely irreversible. Prachi, while lamenting that she has to live with this for the 'rest of her life', urged people to not use any sort of ear piece for a long time.

What caused Prachi's condition
The continuous use of AirPods with noise cancellation technology, could potentially harm your hearing and trigger tinnitus when users overuse these devices. Let's see how...

How noise cancelling works in AirPods
AirPods use microphones, along with speakers, to eliminate external noise through wave generation, which produces opposite sound waves. You can listen to music or podcasts at normal volumes in noisy environments, without needing to increase the volume. Using this technology allows you to protect your ears since it enables you to hear sounds at softer volumes. The technology delivers better sound quality while decreasing stress that comes from noisy environments, for numerous users.


Risks of listening at high volumes
However, the primary hearing danger from AirPods with ANC (noise cancellation) emerges, when users listen at high volumes for extended durations. According to the World Health Organization, permanent hearing damage occurs when you expose your ears to sounds equal to, or louder than 85 decibels during prolonged periods. Users might increase the volume to dangerous levels even though noise cancellation works, because they believe the lack of external sounds makes it safe. The process of listening at high volumes for extended periods can cause permanent damage to the sensitive hair cells inside your inner ear, resulting in gradual hearing deterioration.

Hearing loss from ear pressure and overuse
Long-term AirPods usage with noise cancellation, creates pressure sensations within the ear canal. The ANC technology generates opposing sound waves to external noises, which creates ear pressure effects similar to flying. The ear pressure produced by these devices is generally harmless, but may lead to headaches, ear fullness or cause discomfort. The tight fit of AirPods during extended use makes these symptoms worse for particular users. Your ears become exhausted through continuous usage without interruptions, which may result in hearing fatigue that progresses into damage if left untreated.

Can lead to tinnitus as well
Tinnitus refers to the experience of hearing ringing, buzzing or high-pitched tones that exist without actual external sounds. Several users have mentioned that using noise-cancelling AirPods during extended periods, sometimes causes tinnitus or makes the condition worse. The closed ear canal during ANC use, might lead to increased sound sensitivity or altered brain noise processing. People who continuously block out background noises during the day may become more sensitive to sudden noises, or develop persistent ringing in their ears. The background sounds generated by AirPods temporarily help mask tinnitus symptoms, but using these devices excessively or at high volumes actually makes tinnitus symptoms worse.


Not just AirPods
Hearing loss together with tinnitus, presents danger to listeners beyond just using AirPods or noise-cancelling earbuds. The same hearing risks exist for various types of earphones and headphones including wired and wireless earbuds, and over-the-ear headphones. Any earphone usage at high volume frequencies has been proven to elevate the risk of hearing damage and tinnitus regardless of the specific brand or type.

Preventive measures
To minimise AirPods-related risks, users should maintain sound levels under 85 decibels, while also taking periodic breaks for ear relaxation. Users can decrease ear pressure by adjusting their AirPod fit, and should refrain from continuous long-term use to prevent both short-term discomfort, and long-term hearing damage.

Reference and Study Links:
https://www.nal.gov.au/projects/acceptability-of-apple-airpods-pro-by-people-with-hearing-in-noise-problems/

https://www.onlymyhealth.com/how-do-noise-cancelling-headphones-affect-your-ears-1718627722

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9271732/

https://www.apple.com/airpods-pro/hearing-health/

https://www.reddit.com/r/airpods/comments/yofejs/airpods_and_tinnitus/

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgkjvr7x5x6o

https://healthcare.utah.edu/healthfeed/2024/01/listen-headphone-use-can-impact-your-hearing-health

Disclaimer: This article is informational only and not a substitute for medical advice