There are conflicting reports about tinnitus and alcohol. Some people claim that having a drink reduces tinnitus symptoms. Other people claim that having a drink increases makes their hearing worse.
Science hasn’t helped clear things up either. A 1995 study at the Welsh Hearing Institute found that 22% of participants reported an increase in tinnitus from drinking alcohol, while 16% reported a reduction in symptoms. The other 62% reported no effect. With results like those, it’s no wonder people ask questions like these:
Why do some people get tinnitus relief with alcohol?
There is no solid research to tell us why some people benefit from mixing tinnitus and alcohol. One possible reason is that the people who benefit from a drink or two are those whose ringing in their ears is caused, at least in part, by stress.
A little alcohol is known to reduce stress in many people, so it stands to reason that for such people, a drink could act as a makeshift tinnitus treatment.
IMPORTANT: Don’t take anything you read here as a suggestion that you should start drinking if you haven’t already! This article is only for people who are currently drinking alcohol and wondering about its effects on ringing in the ears.
Why do some people find that tinnitus and alcohol don’t mix?
If you’re a heavy drinker, it’s easy to understand why your drink makes your ears ring worse. Heavy drinking causes headaches and general damage to your system, which can only be bad for your ears. The connections are less clear for moderate drinkers. It could be because some people consider alcohol to be a mild stimulant and stimulants are known to increase tinnitus symptoms.
How do I know which group I belong to?
You can easily find out if alcohol improves, worsens or does not appreciably affect the ringing in the ears. Just keep a record for a few weeks. In it, record how severe your tinnitus is before and after consuming alcohol. Over time, a pattern will emerge that tells you where you are.