We know the benefits of drinking red wine, but do you know that beer is also good for you? The keyword for this, though, is moderation. Overindulging is always bad for your health.
With that said, are you aware that drinking can impair your hearing? However, according to the best hearing specialists, it is unnecessary to fret because it is temporary. As soon as the liquor is out of your system, your hearing improves. It is also essential to know the factors that can affect your hearing, such as the duration of your drinking habit and how much you consume.
If you want to learn more, you should keep your nose glued to this blog. It will give you a better insight into drinking alcohol and hearing loss.
How Alcohol Can Impair Your Hearing
The best hearing specialists will tell you that nausea and dizziness brought about by drinking are simply the indirect effects of alcohol on your ears and not your brain. In most cases, a moderate amount of alcohol is safe for your body and will not do any significant damage.
However, even a small amount of alcohol can impair your hearing. As mentioned earlier, the effects are only temporary. Drinking too much is an entirely different story.
It may take several hours before you can feel the joy of being tipsy, but the damage it does to your ears lasts for days. Sometimes, the effects can be worse. It happens because alcohol can eventually shrink the auditory cortex, part of our brain.
Every time you consume alcohol, your brain is in jeopardy. Alcohol is a depressant that depresses your central nervous system. In simpler terms, alcohol slows down your heart rate, lowers your blood pressure, and makes you feel light-headed.
Damaged Inner Ear Hair
If you drink heavily, likely, alcohol will not properly drain from your inner ear. The former stays in the latter longer than other parts of the body. Alcohol can eventually damage the delicate hair-like structures in your inner ears. It will ultimately result in a condition known as ototoxicity.
This hearing condition occurs naturally, but drinking large amounts of alcohol can hasten this. To determine if you have such an ailment, you can undergo hearing tests, such as the Otoacoustic emissions (OAE) test.
Tinnitus
It is another common side effect of drinking. Tinnitus is the perception of sounds that do not exist. This problem is estimated to affect 10% of the population in the US.
Alcohol can make your tinnitus worse. If you drink often and in large amounts, you may have permanent tinnitus.
If you have this problem, it will be difficult to ignore the sound. You may even become depressed because of it. If you drink too much, your doctor will prescribe medications or a hearing aid. However, you can still treat it with non-medical methods.
Conclusion
If you like to drink, try to exercise in moderation. Do not drink too much. A moderate amount will not cause any significant damage to you.
If you have a draft at home or you see one at your favorite restaurant, think twice before ordering one. You might be making a mistake by consuming alcohol.
If you are afraid that your nightly glass of wine is already impairing your hearing, you can undergo hearing tests from Hear More Associates. We can determine what is happening to your ears and prescribe the appropriate medication to counter what you are suffering from, so book an appointment now!
