Remember the old tale of Johnny Appleseed? When you were younger you most likely heard the tale of how Johnny Appleseed journeyed around bringing fresh apples to communities (you should eat apples because they’re a healthy choice and that’s the moral of the story).
That’s only somewhat true. Around the end of the 19th century, Johnny Appleseed (John Chapman was his real name) did in fact bring apples to many parts of the United States. But apples weren’t as delicious and sweet as modern apples. Brewing hard cider, in fact, was the primary use of apples.
That’s right. Johnny Appleseed was providing booze to every neighborhood he visited.
Alcohol and humans can have a complex relationship. It’s not good for your health to start with (you will frequently note some of these health issues right away when you feel hungover). But many people enjoy getting buzzed.
This isn’t a new thing. Since humans have been recording history, people have been enjoying alcohol. But it could be possible that your hearing issues are being exacerbated by alcohol consumption.
So when you’re at the bar, loud music isn’t the only danger to the health of your hearing. It’s also the drinks.
Tinnitus can be triggered by alcohol
Most hearing specialists will tell you that drinking can trigger tinnitus. That shouldn’t be too big of a stretch to believe. You’ve probably 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 (especially with your eyes closed).
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 used for? Obviously, your ability to hear. Which means that if you’ve experienced the spins, it isn’t a surprise that you may have also experienced a buzzing or ringing in your ears that are characteristic of tinnitus.
That’s because alcohol is an ototoxic substance
Now there’s a scary word: ototoxic. But it’s really just a fancy word for something that damages the auditory system. The whole auditory system from your ears to your brain is included in this.
There are several ways that this plays out in practice:
- Alcohol can decrease blood flow to your inner ear. The deficiency of blood flow can itself be a source of damage.
- Alcohol can degrade the stereocilia in your ears (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 recover or grow back once they have been compromised.
- 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 correctly (both decision making regions, and hearing centers are affected).
Tinnitus and hearing loss caused by drinking are often temporary
You might begin to notice some symptoms when you’re out on the town having some drinks with friends.
The good news is that these symptoms (when they are brought on by alcohol intake) are normally short-term. Your tinnitus will typically clear up along with most of your hearing loss when your body chemistry goes back to normal.
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 may become permanent. In other words, it’s definitely possible (if not likely) that you can generate both permanent tinnitus and hearing loss by drinking too much and too frequently.
Some other things are occurring too
It’s not just the booze, of course. The bar scene is not hospitable for your ears for other reasons as well.
- Noise: Bars are normally pretty noisy. That’s part of their… uh… charm? But when you’re 40 or more it can be a little bit much. There’s much fun and merriment, people yelling, and loud music. Your hearing can be damaged over time by this.
- Alcohol causes other issues: Drinking is also detrimental to other aspects of your health. 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 issues could be the result.
The point is, there are serious hazards to your health and your hearing in these late night bar visits.
So should you quit drinking?
Naturally, sitting in a quiet room and drinking alone is not at all what we’re advocating. The root problem is the alcohol itself. So you may be doing substantial harm to your health and hearing if you’re having a hard time moderating your alcohol intake. Your provider can help you move towards living a healthier life with the right treatment.
If you’ve detected a loud ringing in your ears after heavy drinking, schedule an appointment with us for a consultation.