No thank goodness, and as you know from the Pixel discussions I have autoimmune issues and currently have an eye inflamed shut due to that. I have contact dermatitis triggers I have to protect against, too.
As someone active in animal rescue for years, I've seen and treated enough dog and cat ears inflamed by yeast infections that I'm ridiculously fastidious with earbuds, because I want no part of that misery.
I don't ever use earbuds unless I've just cleaned my ears, as in actually washing and more importantly, thoroughly drying them. (I know not everyone on the go can do that. Being a SAHM has its advantages that way).
But I am the one who cleans all the tech and inspects for dirt or damage and replaces screen protectors. I've seen how nasty the kids once let their earbuds get. Once, one was so bad I said the hell with it and threw it out then had a detailed tech hygiene talk.
As I said, I have dealt a lot with animals with yeast infections of the ears. (They always get seen by the vet; I don't diagnose nor do home remedies because yeast infections are not to be trifled with).
Trapped moisture is the cause.
People who exercise and leave their sweat soaked earbuds in are likely to run into problems. It may be that some ear tips retain the moisture and yeast more readily than hard surfaces like older earbuds had. Feeling the tips on buds designed the last few years, I always worried they were a health disaster waiting to happen. They're sticky, they're designed to go deep into the ear and seal into the ear canal. Yeah, what could possibly go wrong with that?
Remove earbuds frequently to let them air out. Wipe them clean. Wipe the surface of your ear clean.
Go back to 1989 when earbuds stayed out of your ear canal and frankly sounded a hell of a lot better. The day I realized the ones that came with my circa 1988 Sony Walkman went permanently missing was a dark day of weeping in my home.
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