Alcohol

[Comeonyouspurs]

I have had tinnitus for years but its always been very moderate.During lockdown i started drinking a lot more at weekends and the it became louder and high pitched,3 years on from lockdown i still binge at weekends and the noise is louder even tho specialists have said alcohol is unlikely,Also if i really stretch my jaw on and off for a few minutes the noise decreases but then comes back.

[TinnitusUKPat Partner]

Hi Comeoneyouspurs.

I think it will be difficult for specialists to draw a causal line between alcohol consumption and tinnitus. There's no metric they can use to determine this beyond the questionnaires which try to establish how tinnitus affects our mental and emotional states.

There's a pretty established link between higher levels of alcohol use and ear damage, which often leads to hearing loss. Tinnitus is equally well established as an issue which people with hearing loss can encounter.

When people drink alcohol, more blood flows to the ears - so sensory issues like tinnitus may be more apparent to us. When we drink more alcohol over a long period of time, this can be absorbed into the fluids normally present within the inner ear and upset the delicate mix there which helps us to regulate balance as well as help us to identify sounds. Conditions like vertigo can result from this.

We can't tell people not to drink - that's counter productive - but if our levels of alcohol consumption go beyond recommended levels and we're noticing more regular changes in our wellbeing, perhaps it is time to stop and look at how we're drinking and whether our consumption is causing more problems for us and not helping us to relax.

[JimmyPops]

Hi there. I agree that tinnitus is always increased they day after having a few too many beers etc! 👎🏻