Do you recollect the old tale about Johnny Appleseed? When you were younger you likely heard the tale of how Johnny Appleseed journeyed around providing fresh apples to communities (the moral of the story is that apples are healthy, and you should eat them).
That’s only partly accurate. The authentic Johnny Appleseed (whose real name was John Chapman) did indeed bring apples to lots of states across the country at about the end of the 19th century. But apples were really different hundreds of years ago. They weren’t as sweet or delicious. In fact, they were mostly only used for one thing: creating hard cider.
That’s right. Johnny Appleseed was bringing booze to every community he visited.
Humans have a tricky relationship with alcohol. On the one hand, it’s horrible for your health (you will often experience some of these health problems right away when you feel hungover). But many individuals enjoy getting buzzed.
This behavior 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 use could be producing or exacerbating your symptoms.
In other words, it isn’t only the loud music at the bar that can cause hearing troubles. It’s the beer, too.
Tinnitus can be caused by alcohol
Most hearing specialists will agree that drinking alcohol causes tinnitus. That isn’t really that difficult to believe. You’ve most likely experienced “the spins” if you’ve ever drank too much. That’s where you get really, really dizzy and the room feels like it’s, well, spinning (particularly when you close your eyes).
When alcohol disturbs your inner ear, which is the part of your body responsible for balance, tinnitus can manifest.
And what else is your inner ear good for? Naturally, your hearing. Which means that if you’ve experienced the spins, it’s not surprising that you might have also experienced a ringing or buzzing in your ears that are characteristic of tinnitus.
Ototoxic compounds, including alcohol, will trigger tinnitus
Now there’s a scary word: ototoxic. But it’s actually just a fancy word for something that impairs the auditory system. This includes both the auditory nerves and the inner ear, essentially everything that connects your whole auditory system, from your ears to your brain.
There are several ways that this plays out in practice:
- Alcohol can damage the stereocilia in your ears (these are tiny hairs that let you sense vibrations in the air, vibrations that your brain later translates into sound). Once those tiny hairs are damaged, there’s no coming back.
- There are neurotransmitters in your brain that manage hearing which can be damaged by alcohol. So your brain isn’t functioning efficiently when alcohol is in your system (both decision making centers, and hearing centers are impacted).
- Alcohol can reduce blood flow to your inner ear. This in itself can become a source of damage (most parts of your body don’t especially enjoy being deprived of blood).
Tinnitus and hearing loss caused by drinking are usually temporary
You might begin to detect some symptoms when you’re out on the town having a few drinks with friends.
These symptoms, luckily, are normally not lasting when related to alcohol. Your tinnitus will usually go away along with most of your hearing loss when your body chemistry returns to normal.
Of course, the longer alcohol is in your system, the longer it will take your ears to return to normal. And it could become permanent if this type of damage keeps occurring continually. So if you drink too much too frequently, permanent damage could possibly take place.
Here are a couple of other things that are happening
Clearly, it’s more than simply the booze. The bar scene isn’t favorable for your ears for other reasons also.
- Alcohol leads to other issues: Drinking is also bad for other aspects of your health. Diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and high blood pressure can be the result of alcohol abuse. And more severe tinnitus symptoms as well as life threatening health problems could be the result.
- Noise: The first is that bars tend to be, well, loud. That’s part of their… uh… appeal? But when you’re 40 or older it can be a bit much. There’s noisy music, loud people, and lots of laughing. Your hearing can be damaged over time by this.
The point is, there are serious risks to your health and your hearing in these late night bar visits.
Does that mean it’s time to stop drinking?
Of course, we’re not saying that drinking alone in a quiet room is the solution here. It’s the alcohol, not the socializing, that’s the root of the issue. So if you’re having trouble moderating your alcohol intake, you could be creating significant problems for yourself, and for your hearing. Your doctor can help you move towards living a healthier life with the correct treatment.
If you’ve noticed a loud ringing in your ears after heavy drinking, schedule an appointment with us for a consultation.
