There is an inconsistency in symptoms of tinnitus; it appears difficult to know why and when these sounds happen. Perhaps you’re climbing into bed one night and, apparently out of nowhere, your ears begin to ring badly. No matter how much you lie in bed and contemplate the reason why you’re hearing this buzzing, you can’t identify any triggers in your day: There is no discernible reason why, at 9 PM, ringing starts happening, no loud music, no loud fire alarms, nothing.

So perhaps the food you ate may be the answer. We don’t typically think about the connection between food and hearing, but there’s a bit of research and evidence to suggest that certain foods can make tinnitus worse. In order to stay away from those foods, it’s important to recognize what they are.

What Foods Make Tinnitus Worse?

So let’s get right to it. You would like to know which foods you should stay away from so you can be sure you never have to go through one of those food-generated tinnitus attacks again. Certain foods to avoid might include:

Alcohol

High on the list of items to avoid are alcohol and tobacco. Okay, alright, “tobacco” isn’t necessarily food, but if you want to lessen tinnitus flare up’s (and the intensity of those episodes), you’ll stay away from smoking and drinking as much as you can.

Both alcohol and tobacco products can have a significant effect on your blood pressure (not to mention your total health). The more you indulge, the more likely a tinnitus flare up will be.

Sodium

One of the top predictors of tinnitus flare-ups is your blood pressure. Your tinnitus gets worse when your blood pressure rises. That’s the reason why sodium should definitely be on your list of food substances to stay away from. You’ll want to significantly decrease your sodium intake whether you use salt on everything or you just love to eat french fries.

There are certain foods that you don’t commonly consider high in sodium such as ice cream. You’ll need to keep an eye on sodium levels in anything you eat to avoid a surprise tinnitus episode.

Fast Food

It shouldn’t be shocking that you should stay away from fast food if you are avoiding sodium. Even fast food places that say they are a more healthy alternative serve food that is very high in sodium and fat. And, of course, your blood pressure and your tinnitus will be adversely impacted by this type of diet. Let’s not forget the huge drinks they serve which are extremely high in sugar. Yes you guessed it, sugar is next on this list.

Sweets And Sugars

Candy is something that we all love. Well, most of us love candy. There is a very small percentage of the population that would actually prefer veggies. We try not to judge.

Unfortunately, the glucose balance in your body can be significantly disrupted by sugar. And a little disruption of your glucose stability can cause you to have a hard time trying to sleep. And the more you toss and turn, the more you begin to listen for that ringing and buzzing.

Caffeine

There’s an apparent reason why we saved this one for last. Giving this one up is a tough pill to swallow. But using caffeine late in the day, whether from coffee, tea, or soda, can really wreck your sleep cycle. And the worse your quality of sleep, the more your tinnitus is likely to flare up.

It’s really the lack of sleep, not the caffeine that’s the issue. Switch over to a beverage that doesn’t have caffeine at night and save your caffeine for the morning.

Discover What Works Best For You

This list is by no means exhaustive. Your hearing expert is the best place to start concerning the dietary adjustments you need to undertake. Let’s not forget that dietary modifications affect everyone differently, so it might even be worth maintaining a food journal where you can track what affects you and by how much.

Understanding which foods can trigger a tinnitus episode can help you make smarter choices moving forward. When you start monitoring how your ears respond to different foods, the cause of your tinnitus may become less mysterious.

Then you will recognize if you are going to regret that late cup of coffee.