Last updated on January 17th, 2023 at 02:35 pm
Whether AirPods give you headaches is a hotly debated subject. Some users claim that they cause them sharp, painful headaches, whilst others notice nothing at all…
Wireless headsets like earbuds or AirPods (Apple’s earbuds) offer a seamless listening experience on the go. They are perfect for everyone who is fond of listening to music or podcasts, a big hit these days to gather all the information for personal growth and knowledge.
With the popularity of AirPods, or earbuds in general, various concerns about this product causing headaches have also come to light. A lot of consumers have reported experiencing severe headaches after using AirPods for a while.
Some also speculate if it causes some sort of damage, hemorrhage, or tumor in the brain.
These common queries and some more will be discussed in this article. Keep on reading to find out what causes headaches when wearing AirPods and how (if possible) can it be prevented.
Do AirPods Pro cause Headaches?
Headaches caused by wearing in-ear devices have always been a common occurrence. Apple’s Airpods, however, have faced a significant number of complaints in this department.
Over the years, there have been hundreds of individuals that have complained about experiencing pressure and headaches when using AirPods.
It started with one man making a complaint on social media, sharing his experience with the Apple community, back in 2016 when the Airpods were first launched.
Quickly, several other users of the Apple Airpods began noticing and experiencing similar symptoms, and sharing them over various social media platforms.
Pressure in the ear, sharp and unavoidable headaches usually at the back of the head, and nausea are common symptoms reported by these people.
Various speculations have been made as to what could be causing this level of discomfort in so many people. Could it be the snug fit? Could it be the microwaves of radiation emitted by Bluetooth devices?
Could it be some error in creating the AirPods hindering the Bluetooth waves or cellular signals that are causing the pain?
While there are numerous variables, a definitive answer is still unknown even after years. So far, Apple has not made any statement on this matter, reinforcing it or quashing it.
Either way, the brand is continuing to bring newer models periodically, and thousands of people buy them every day around the world.
Can AirPods Give you a Brain Tumor?
A myth that quickly attracted attention was that of Airpods causing brain tumors. Scientifically speaking, Airpods or any other Bluetooth headset device has not been proven to cause brain tumors or any type of cancer.
Rumors like this emerged greatly out of context back in 2019, when an older 2015 appeal to the WHO by over 200 scientists came to the limelight. As per this appeal, the community of scientists requested WHO to bar all commonly used electromagnetic devices.
They argued that the prescribed radiation levels were still high and could cause significant harm to human health. Taking this out of context, and attaching it to the common complaint of Airpods causing headaches, some people connected the two.
However, in reality, this is not the case. Bluetooth devices including AirPods emit non-ionizing radiation, which is extremely weak to cause cancers even remotely.
The appeal raised by the scientists back in 2015, concerned itself with all electromagnetic devices including laptops, cellular phones, etc. These devices produce much higher levels of radiation that can in the long turn prove harmful.
The report, wrongly cited, did not single out Airpods, or other Bluetooth earbuds. It is also noteworthy that the appeal being cited was made in 2015, a year before Airpods was even launched.
Airpods Head Pressure
A few weeks since its first launch in December 2016, various people have shared discomforting experiences. These experiences were more or less similar in nature and all people report having severe head pressure later translating into headaches.
A few people also took the precaution of testing out different wireless earphone devices before making any type of connection to Apple AirPods. However, most people experienced this discomfort only while wearing Airpods.
A few AirPods users also reported feeling a lot of pressure in the ear when putting in the AirPods normally. The snug fit has caused considerable ear pressure in a lot of users.
While a few users reported a better experience when leaving it a little loose, others reported that keeping the AirPods loosely fitted, the pressure in the ear got slightly relieved.
But they started experiencing excessive head pressure and headaches.
Can Bluetooth Earbuds cause Headaches?
In general, the answer to this question is yes. Prolonged usage of earbuds can cause headaches for the simple fact that there are a lot of sounds that the ears are being exposed to.
Close exposure to loud sounds not only discomforts the ears but also causes severe headaches in a lot of people. Adding to that is the tight fit of the Bluetooth earbuds or wireless earbuds.
To prevent them from slipping and getting lost, these earbuds are made to provide a tight or snug fit. The prolonged presence of a device in the ear adds pressure to the ear which quickly extends to the head, thereby causing a headache.
It also then becomes important to figure out if the AirPods are actually the reason behind the headache. While it is true that some people visibly feel that way, but understanding why the AirPods are causing discomfort is important.
Do AirPods cause Brain Damage
No. Just like AirPods don’t cause cancer or tumors, similarly, they do not cause brain damage. There has been no scientific proof connecting AirPods usage to brain damage.
Though people who experience headaches connect to the possibility of AirPods causing brain damage, there is no proof of any such occurrence. Listening to music or podcasts or anything really so close to the eardrum and at very high volumes runs the risk of causing hearing damage.
However, that stands true for all such in-ear devices, and has nothing to do with AirPods alone. Even though various people have shared distressing experiences while using AirPods,
Apple has not yet responded to any of these claims, confirming or denying their validity. On the other hand, the lack of any documented study or proof connecting the validity of these two also leads to the questionability of these claims.
Brain damage can be caused due to various reasons including an injury to the head. However, if used normally, AirPods or any other devices like it will not cause brain damage.
Even if an individual experiences headaches on account of using AirPods, there can be a number of reasons behind it including:
- Hypersensitivity to loud sounds
- Ill-fitting of the earbuds
- The unsuitability of snug-fitting earbuds.
Do AirPods cause Radiation
All electromagnetic devices, including cellular phones, personal computers or laptops, tablets, etc., cause some level of radiation. Earphones or earbuds including AirPods also emit radiation, however, it is much lower than these other devices.
In a recent study, published in the year 2019, it was found that Bluetooth earbuds such as AirPods and other similar brands produce 10 to 400 percent less radiation. This study compared Bluetooth earbuds to other electromagnetic devices.
This means that the amount of radiation emitted by these devices is negligible and cannot possibly cause harm. By comparison in fact, other devices that humans can no longer live without, like their mobiles, and laptops are much more harmful when it comes to producing radiation.
Additionally, as previously discussed, Bluetooth earbuds like AirPods give out non-ionized radiation, which does not cause common illnesses associated with radiation, for example, cancer.
Apart from that, all modern devices emit some level of radiation, whether it is the devices mentioned above or others like microwaves.
Let’s look at some FAQs related to Airpods and Headaches
Do Wireless Earbuds cause Headaches?
Even though a lot of people have had similar experiences, there is no hard proof connecting these two occurrences. Some people can feel headaches when wearing AirPods, however, the majority of people do not experience such a thing.
Since there can be various reasons for a headache, AirPods cannot inherently be blamed for them.
What are the Side Effects of AirPods?
Listening to very loud music can cause discomfort or loss of hearing. These are not primarily the side effects of just AirPods, but every Bluetooth wired and wireless device.
Apart from that, using them continuously can cause strain or fatigue to the ears and cause a disbalance. This leads to a feeling of headaches or nausea.
Why Does Wearing Earbuds give me a Headache?
There could be various reasons why a person gets a headache upon wearing earbuds. Firstly, the tight-fitting of the earbuds to prevent them from falling down causes a lot of discomfort.
Secondly, the shape of a person’s ear can also contribute to the feeling of getting headaches when wearing earbuds.
Why Does my Head Hurt with AirPods Pro?
If you are listening to very loud music, or are fitting the AirPods pro very tightly, you can experience headaches. Try lowering the volume, lowering the frequency of wearing AirPods, and loosely wearing the AirPods instead of fitting them in completely.
A little wiggle room can help fix the headache issue.
