You know alcohol damages your liver. But do you know about, the effect of alcohol on your ear and mouth
1 Why does my ear have a ringing sound after drinking alcohol?
It gets better after 2 days…
What could be the problem?
Problem is the effect of alcohol on your ear .
The acute toxicity of blood alcohol causes immediate and frightening effects.
The delicate hair cells in your cochlea (the hearing apparatus) doesn’t like drinking alcohol .
The cochlear hair cells change the sound waves into electrical signals.When the nerve of hearing relays these signals to your brain,you hear.
The cochlear hair cells hate beer,rum,gin,vodka ..All alcoholic drinks.
It hates it because ,alcohol is a cochlear haircell killer!This effect will add up overtime and you will hear less .Your ears will have more ringing sounds.
Alcohols depresses the central auditory cortex (the main place in the brain where hearing is processed).
This affect is long term.Happens with chronic alcohol abuse.Makes your brain shrink .
Alcohol ototoxicity will present as:
- Blocked ear
- Ringing sound in ear
- Dizziness
- Decreased Hearing
But why would you care if cochlear hair cells hate drinking?
You like how alcohol, makes you feel ,right?
You do .You care in your guts ,when you are throwing up next morning.
You care when you have a hang over.
Your ears care ,because with time you are hearing less.The sad part ,you don’t even notice.
The screams of the cochlear hair cells may initially present as a blocked, obstructed feeling in the ear.
This feeling of obstruction is directly related with the amount you drink.
Your liver can digest only small amount at a time .The rest circulates in the blood and affects different organs.
The Good News
This effect on your cochlear hair cells is initially temporary. It gets better with decreasing blood alcohol level.That’s why your ears will get unblocked after a day or two.The ringing stops.You hear perfectly.
The Bad News
Over long time this toxic effect becomes cumulative.The ringing also known as Tinnitus will go on.
You will hear less and less .
What should you do?
1.Stop drinking alcohol (Yes I know,I am spoiling the party!Some of my friends hate me for saying this .At the risk of being unpopular,it still needs to be mentioned first)
2) Try to stop drinking before your ear gets blocked/or before the ringing starts .The liver can handle about 1 ounce of alcohol in one hour.Drinking quickly, binge drinking,drink in in empty stomach can all increase risk.
3) You drink occasionally,but still having these problems.Start a detox diet.
(Want a personalized detox diet ,made just for you write to me at dramrita@healthwealthbridge.com,and I will get back to you.)
4) Antioxidants,Vitamin B12,Vitamin C, fresh fruits and veggies
5)Probiotic can help make your liver healthy.This in turn helps to clear the alcohol from blood .
Related:
Probiotic food :why you need it
Probiotics improve liver enzymes in alcohol induced liver injury
6)Get a Pure tone audiometry and tympanometry done
The report will tell you the damage your ear has suffered .
How does alcohol affect your mouth?
Alcohol can cause various problems in the oral cavity .
It has a synergistic effect with tobacco as a risk factor for head neck cancers.
Cancers of oral cavity oropharynx ,larynx are all possible with alcohol consumption.
Together with smoking, the risk is much more than simply additive .
The risk appears dose dependant.
Drinking alcohol damages the oral mucosa .It causes carcinogenic changes over time.
The effect is due to both ethanol and it’s metabolite acetaldehyde.
Gum problems,caries are all common with poor oro-dental hygiene ,associated with alcoholism.But head neck cancers are the scary ones.
Chronic alcohol users :Higher risk of oropharyngeal and laryngeal cancers.
What can you do ?
1 to 5 and review with your otolaryngologis regularly.
Design your own healthy lifestyle.Live healthy.Live strong.
Comment below to let me know ,what effect of alcohol you have experienced?
Disclaimer :Health information provided here is meant to help and spread awareness. It is not to be taken as professional medical advice.
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