Tuesday, November 10, 2026
AirPods Pro and tinnitus
I was recently diagnosed with both mild hearing loss and tinnitus. The hearing loss rarely bothers me, but the tinnitus flares up occasionally and can be quite irritating.
While getting my hearing test, the audiologist suggested hearing aids would make ambient sounds louder and help mask the tinnitus.
He gave me some to try on, but it sounded like everyone was talking loudly into a microphone, including myself. Also, I could still hear the tinnitus.
On top of that, hearing aids can cost thousands of dollars, so this initially didn’t seem like the way to go.
But then I read about how AirPods Pro could both give hearing tests and be used as hearing aids. This functionality has long been available in other countries, but not Canada — at least not until recently. A couple of weeks ago it was approved for British Columbia, where I live.
Now, AirPods Pro are expensive compared with other earbuds, but dirt cheap compared with hearing aids. Also, the first hearing test with the audiologist was free, but future ones will cost me. From that point of view the Apple product, which of course also allows you to listen to music, seemed like a bargain.
So I bought them. And I have to say I’m impressed.
They help me pick up a lot more ambient sounds. For example, I’m much more aware of the clicking of my keyboard. The air coming out of the furnace vent is louder than I realized. My wife assures me it has always been that way. I can hear the fridge and the dishwasher from the living room.
All these sounds do help distract me from the tinnitus. I don’t always need the distraction, but it’s nice to know it’s there if I need it. A despairing thing about tinnitus is that there is no cure. It sounds cruel, but you really do have to learn to live with it. Things I have found helpful are deep breathing, making sure I get a good night’s sleep, and listening to white noise. Occasionally, though, it flares up to the point where I can’t just live with it. That’s where the AirPods Pro come in. They don’t provide a cure, but the do provide a sense of agency. I feel more confident knowing I have a tool that will help me through the rough times.
Beyond this, I was also pleased with the some of the adjustments available. On my iPad, I found them in Settings > AirPods Pro > Hearing Health > Hearing Assistance > Adjustments. They include amplification, balance, tone, ambient noise reduction, conversation boost, and own voice amplification.
When I discovered these, the first thing I did was slide “own voice amplification” to as low as it would go. I’m really not sure why anyone would want their voice amplified. I find it to be a bizarre experience.
The other thing I played with was ambient noise reduction. At times, those sounds might be what save me during a tinnitus flare-up. At other times, they can just be annoying.
From reading reviews of using AirPods Pro as a hearing aid, the main drawback appears to be battery life of 10 hours. That could be inconvenient if you need them all day. It should also be noted that Apple recommends the hearing aid feature only for mild and medium hearing loss — not severe cases.
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