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Hearing Loss Web Discussion Board » Tinnitus » Caffeine, Chocolate, Salt, and Alcohol can aggravate tinnitus
Both my old ENT and my new ENT say that Caffeine, Chocolate, Salt, and Alcohol (especially red wine) can aggravate tinnitus. Although they do not cause it or make it permanently worse, the do have a temporary effect on the levels.
If you are troubled by your tinnitus, you might want to avoid or limit these substances.
Bob
It's always best to speak over with an audiologist for advice on what foods are irritants for Tinnitus. Just like everything else in our bodies, our diet can effect us positively or negatively. If you do have Tinnitus, then it would be best to avoid these and monitor your diet so not to cause aggravation more so than there already is.
Last edited by dunshaw (2009-08-21 16:37:45)
My audiologist has nothing to say about that, but the doctor she works for (and the doctor my old audiologist worked for) both said these foods aggravate tinnitus.
Now both doctors say that these foods do not do damage to the ears, so it's OK to eat/drink if you don't mind the noise.
In fact my new ENT, has tinnitus, and he said he still drinks his morning coffee, it makes the ears ring for a while, but he doesn't mind.
My tinnitus is so variable that I'm having trouble deciding if they bother me or not. Plus I don't care if the ears ring, as long as my hearing is not getting worse, I can put up with the noise.
But on the other hand, I drink mostly decaf tea, no alcohol, no added salt to foods, and only a little non-sugar dark chocolate.
Bob
Last edited by AllEars (2009-08-21 17:13:09)
What is level 4 tinnitus? I've never heard it classified that way and a google search didn't reveal any answers.
Mine is variable, sometimes it is not there at all, most of the time it is mild, but sometimes it is moderate. I find it easy to ignore most of the time.
I've tried to figure out what makes it vary, foods, drinks, atmospheric pressure, relative humidity, moon phases, and a host of other things suggested to me, but there seems to be no rhyme or reason.
I limit my caffeine to one cup of tea per day, and it's decaf after that. I've never added salt to foods, my alcohol consumption is very mild, but I do eat a little chocolate from time to time. None of the above seem to have any effect on it most of the time, but on rare occasions the tea or chocolate will raise the volume a bit.
Actually, I could care less about the tinnitus, I just wish there was some way to improve my high frequency hearing.
Bob
Sorry for the late reply, the level I meant was when they were testing my ear at my ENT and audiologist. I understand your pain. I wish they would fund more research to find a cure to the endless ringing.
I've had tinnitus all my life, I remember hearing it even before being fitted with hearing aides at age 2 and a half. Food has never affected it. It just comes and goes, sometimes daily, sometimes weekly. Mostly it is ringing, bells and whistles; sort of musical and echoey. But not harmonious, sorry to say. It worsened after my cochlear implants to sounding like pots and pans banging, then abated to normal levels that I am just used to.
Fortunately mine is mostly a hissing noise. It is variable and sometimes there is a high audible tone, but nothing that I haven't learned to ignore (at least 90% of the time).
I just accept it.
Bob
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Hearing Loss Web Discussion Board » Tinnitus » Caffeine, Chocolate, Salt, and Alcohol can aggravate tinnitus
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