Do you recollect the old tale about Johnny Appleseed? In elementary school, you may have been taught that he traveled across the United States, bringing the gift of healthy apples to every community he visited (you should eat apples because they are a healthy choice and that’s the moral of the story).
Actually, that’s not the entire reality. At the end of the 19th century, Johnny Appleseed (John Chapman was his real name) did in fact present apples to numerous parts of the United States. But apples weren’t as delicious and sweet as modern apples. Brewing hard cider, in fact, was the main use of apples.
That’s right. Johnny Appleseed was bringing booze to every neighborhood he visited.
Alcohol and humans can have a complicated relationship. On the one hand, it’s terrible for your health (you will often notice some of these health issues immediately when you feel hungover). On the other hand, humans typically enjoy feeling intoxicated.
This habit goes back into the early mists of time. Since humans have been recording history, people have been indulging in alcohol. But if you have hearing issues, including tinnitus, it’s possible that your alcohol consumption could be producing or exacerbating your symptoms.
So when you’re at the bar, loud music isn’t the only risk to the health of your hearing. It’s the beer, also.
Drinking causes tinnitus
The majority of hearing specialists will tell you that drinking can trigger tinnitus. That isn’t really that hard to accept. If you’ve ever imbibed a little too much, you may have encountered something known as “the spins”. When you’re dizzy and the room seems like it’s spinning after drinking this is what’s called “the spins”.
The spins will happen because the alcohol is interfering with the part of your body responsible for balance: your inner ear.
And what other function does your inner ear play a part in? Hearing, of course! So if alcohol can trigger the spins, it’s not difficult to believe that it can also generate ringing or buzzing in your ears.
Ototoxic compounds, including alcohol, will trigger tinnitus
Now there’s a scary word: ototoxic. But it’s actually just a fancy term for something that impairs the auditory system. The whole auditory system from your ears to your brain is included in this.
Here are a few ways this can play out:
- The stereocilia in your ears can be compromised by alcohol (these are little hairs that allow you to sense vibrations in the air, vibrations that your brain later converts into sound). These little hairs will never heal or grow back once they have been damaged.
- There are neurotransmitters in your brain that deal with hearing which can be damaged by alcohol. This means that, while the alcohol is in your system, your brain isn’t functioning efficiently (obviously, decision-making centers are affected; but so, too, are the parts of your brain in charge of hearing).
- Alcohol can reduce flow of blood to your inner ear. This in itself can become a source of damage (most regions of your body don’t especially enjoy being starved of blood).
Tinnitus and hearing loss caused by drinking are often temporary
So if you’re out for a night on the town or having some drinks with some friends, you may notice yourself developing some symptoms.
These symptoms, thankfully, are generally not lasting when caused by alcohol. As your body chemistry returns to normal, you’ll likely start to recover some of your hearing and your tinnitus will decline.
Of course, the longer alcohol is in your system, the longer it will take your ears to return to normal. And if this type of damage is repeated consistently, it could become permanent. In other words, it’s entirely possible (if not likely) that you can generate both permanent tinnitus and hearing loss by drinking too much and too frequently.
A couple of other things are happening too
It’s not just the booze, however. The bar scene is not hospitable for your ears for other reasons as well.
- Noise: The first is that bars are typically, well, noisy. Some of their charm comes from…uh.. just this. Look, if you’re 20 it’s great; if you’re 40 it’s a little bit much. There’s much fun and merriment, people talking, and loud music. All of that noisiness can, over time, cause damage to your hearing.
- Alcohol causes other problems: Drinking is also bad for other facets of your health. Diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and high blood pressure can be the outcome of alcohol abuse. And more extreme tinnitus symptoms as well as life threatening health concerns could be the outcome.
Simply put, the mix of the environment and the alcohol make those late night bar visits a powerful (and hazardous) mix for your hearing.
So should you quit drinking?
Naturally, sitting in a quiet room and drinking by yourself is not at all what we’re advocating. The underlying problem is the alcohol itself. So you could be doing substantial harm to your health and hearing if you’re having a hard time moderating your drinking. Your provider can help you move towards living a healthier life with the proper treatment.
If you’ve detected a loud ringing in your ears after heavy drinking, make an appointment with us for a consultation.
