There are some people who claim that consuming alcohol makes their tinnitus worse while others claim that it makes it better. So far there is no scientific evidence to indicate that either one is universally true for everyone who has tinnitus. In fact, a 1995 study involving people who drink and also have tinnitus revealed both to be true.
The study which was done by the Welsh Hearing Institute found that a total of 22% of those who participated in the study claimed that their tinnitus increased after drinking alcohol. A total of 16% claimed that their tinnitus actually improved after drinking. The remaining 62% that participated in the study reported absolutely no changes in their symptoms after drinking alcohol.
While some people claim that drinking alcohol makes the ringing or buzzing sound they usually perceive worse, there are those which report the exact opposite. There is nothing about alcohol biochemically that worsens tinnitus, though it is important to keep in mind that this is a symptom of a larger underlying condition rather than a disease itself.
Because there are so many different causes of tinnitus, it is difficult to say who will be affected by alcohol with regards to their symptoms and who will not. So far there is no hard scientific proof that alcohol can improve or worsen tinnitus in any way.
There are only the reports of those who have participated in studies, which leave room for the placebo effect. The only real way to determine whether or not someone with tinnitus will experience worsening symptoms after drinking alcohol is by trial and error.
While alcohol may or may not worsen the symptoms of tinnitus in some people, it is certainly not able to cause tinnitus to develop. There are many different underlying conditions and health problems which can cause tinnitus, but alcohol is not one of them.
