{"id":2398,"date":"2023-05-05T17:56:54","date_gmt":"2023-05-05T23:56:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swient.com\/?p=2398"},"modified":"2023-05-12T17:57:04","modified_gmt":"2023-05-12T23:57:04","slug":"what-to-know-about-hearing-loss-alcohol","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swient.com\/what-to-know-about-hearing-loss-alcohol\/","title":{"rendered":"What to Know About Hearing Loss & Alcohol"},"content":{"rendered":"

While you may enjoy the occasional happy hour with friends, it\u2019s important to know that drinking too heavily or too often can affect your hearing health. Yes, alcohol consumption and hearing loss<\/a> have been linked. We review more about this link in this post.<\/p>\n

Cocktail Deafness<\/h2>\n

One study<\/a> of young adults in London found a link between alcohol use disorder and problems hearing low-frequency sounds, a phenomenon researchers referred to as \u201ccocktail deafness.\u201d While it\u2019s important to note most participants\u2019 hearing did eventually return to normal, the researchers believe repeated episodes of heavy drinking could lead to permanent damage.<\/p>\n

Auditory Cortex<\/h2>\n

Another study<\/a> out of Germany\u00a0discovered that heavy long-term drinking is connected to damage to the auditory cortex. This part of the brain is what helps you process sounds. So even if your ears are healthy, you can still have trouble making out what people are saying, especially in places with a lot of background noise.<\/p>\n

Dizziness<\/h2>\n

Both the hearing and balance systems are housed within the inner ear, so damage to one of these systems often indicates damage to the other. In addition, the Vestibular Disorders Association<\/a> reports that alcohol can change the volume and composition of the fluid in the inner ear, causing dizziness and balance problems. You\u2019ve probably noticed this after a night of drinking!<\/p>\n

Tinnitus<\/h2>\n

Tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, can also be made worse by drinking alcohol. This is because alcohol causes the blood vessels to swell, resulting in more blood flow in the inner ear. Tinnitus can be an extremely irritating, or even debilitating, experience.<\/p>\n

Ready to Quit?<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019ve noticed audiological problems after drinking, consider the following questions:<\/p>\n