AirPods started hurting my ears, until one simple change fixed everything

AirPods Pro earbuds with foam eartips.

For the past 25 years of my life I’ve rarely left the house without a pair of headphones stuck in my ears. But then, all of a sudden, those ears decided they’d had enough.

I hardly had to wear my wireless earbuds of choice, the Apple AirPods Pro, for more than half an hour or so and my ears would start to complain, feeling sore and irritated for days afterwards.