Remember the old tale of Johnny Appleseed? In elementary school, you may have been taught that he traveled across the US, bringing the gift of healthy apples to every community he paid a visit to (the moral of the story is that apples are healthy, and you should eat them).
Actually, that’s not the whole truth. The authentic Johnny Appleseed (whose real name was John Chapman) did indeed introduce apples to lots of states across the country at about the end of the 19th century. But apples were really different way back then. They weren’t as sweet or tasty. Making hard cider, in fact, was the main use of apples.
That’s right. Johnny Appleseed was delivering booze to every community he visited.
Humans have a tricky relationship with alcohol. It isn’t good for your health to begin with (you will often note some of these health issues right away when you feel hungover). But many people like to get a buzz.
This isn’t new. Since we’ve been recording history, people have been enjoying alcohol. But if you have hearing problems, including tinnitus, it’s likely that your alcohol intake could be producing or exacerbating your symptoms.
So when you’re at the bar, loud music isn’t the only risk to your hearing health. It’s the beer, too.
Tinnitus can be caused by alcohol
Most hearing specialists will tell you that drinking alcohol causes tinnitus. That’s not really that difficult to accept. You’ve likely experienced “the spins” if you’ve ever had too much to drink. When you’re dizzy and the room feels like it’s spinning after drinking this is what’s known as “the spins”.
The spins will manifest because the alcohol is interfering with the part of your body responsible for balance: your inner ear.
And what else is your inner ear good for? Obviously, your hearing. Which means that if you’ve experienced the spins, it isn’t a surprise that you may have also experienced a ringing or buzzing in your ears that are characteristic of tinnitus.
Ototoxic substances, including alcohol, will trigger tinnitus
The word ototoxic may sound daunting, but it simply indicates something that can be harmful to your hearing. The entire auditory system from your ears to your brain is involved in this.
There are a few ways that this plays out in practice:
- The stereocilia in your ears can be compromised by alcohol (these delicate hairs in your ears transmit vibrational information to your brain for further processing). These little hairs will never heal or grow back once they have been damaged.
- Alcohol can affect the neurotransmitters in your brain that are in charge of hearing. This means that, while the alcohol is in your system, your brain isn’t functioning efficiently (clearly, decision-making centers are affected; but so, too, are the parts of your brain responsible for hearing).
- Alcohol can decrease flow of blood to your inner ear. The deficiency of blood flow can itself be a source of damage.
Drinking-related hearing loss & tinnitus aren’t always permanent
So if you’re out for a night on the town or getting some drinks with some friends, you might notice yourself developing some symptoms.
The good news is that these symptoms (when they are brought on by alcohol intake) are typically short-term. As your body chemistry goes back to normal, you’ll most likely begin 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 go back to normal. And if this type of damage is repeated regularly, it could become irreversible. So if you drink too much too frequently, permanent damage could possibly take place.
Some other things are happening too
Of course, it’s more than just the liquor. There are a couple of other factors that make the bar scene a little inhospitable for your ears.
- Alcohol causes other issues: Even if you put the hearing loss factor aside, drinking is pretty bad for you. Diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and high blood pressure can be the outcome of alcohol abuse. And more profound tinnitus symptoms as well as life threatening health problems could be the result.
- Noise: The first is that bars are usually, well, noisy. That’s part of their… uh… charm? But when you’re 40 or older it can be a little bit much. There’s loud music, loud people, and lots of yelling and mary-making. All of that loudness can, over the years, cause damage to your hearing.
Simply put, the combination of the environment and the alcohol make those late night bar trips a powerful (and risky) mix for your hearing.
Does that mean it’s time to quit drinking?
Of course, we’re not implying that drinking by yourself in a quiet room is the answer here. It’s the alcohol, not the socializing, that’s the source of the problem. So you could be doing substantial harm to your health and hearing if you’re having a hard time moderating your alcohol intake. You should speak with your doctor about how you can get treatment, and start on the path to being healthy again.
If you’ve detected a loud ringing in your ears after heavy drinking, schedule an appointment with us for a consultation.