Salicylates Can Cause and Exacerbate Tinnitus, Hearing Loss, and Hyperacusis

I stumbled upon this today.

https://www.jneurosci.org/content/23/9/3944

Apparently they use salicylates to induce tinnitus in lab rats. Guess what salicylates are in? Everything.

Whether or not this has had an affect on my tinnitus or hearing, I don't know. But, I do eat a lot of foods high in salicylates because they've traditionally been super foods. Things like spinach, broccoli, blueberries, spices, tomatoes, beer (fuck), tea, coffee, olive oil, coconut oil, gum, etc, are all very high in salicylates. Having great nutrition is one thing I've been proud of and great at, but now I can only wonder if salicylates are making my tinnitus worse and if I should avoid them.

Everywhere you turn there is something that can cause or exacerbate tinnitus. Concerts, movies, caffeine, healthy foods, stress, tight muscles, jaw issues, etc. I mean, how are you supposed to live your life free or worry and fear? How are you supposed to eat a healthy diet, when literally everything healthy contains something that is used to induce tinnitus and worsen hearing.

List of foods high in salicylates: https://www.sjhc.london.on.ca/sites/default/files/salicylate_free_diet_food_guide.pdf

 

If you lived your life free of worry and fear, you'd be dead by bear. Those who did that were Darwin'ed out a long time ago.

Worry and fear is what makes us survive. Not understanding levels of risk (i.e. probabilities) is what makes one worry needlessly or nor not worry when one should (that's the bear thing above).

 

Aspirin is very high in salicylates which is what can cause tinnitus for people when they take it if they are affect by salicylates.

I tried a salicylates free diet for 3-4 days and I was miserable on it. It didn't do anything but it ruled it out. Since then I know high quality fruit and vegetables have a positive effect on my tinnitus.

 

I have found that olive oil, spinach and curcumin all spike my tinnitus to pretty much unbearable levels. All happen to be very high in salicylates. Maybe a coincidence, but i'm going to try a low salicylate diet. Can eat most meats and dairy and bananas and golden delicious apples, which I really like, so it shouldn't be too hard to stick too. Will give it 3 months to see how I fair.

 

Salicylates certainly can introduce and worsen tinnitus. I've experienced this myself. However, the good news is this seems to be only temporary. My personal experience and the literature available seem to reinforce this. I've only read about very high doses of aspirin for a very long time causing permanent tinnitus. This isn't something I would worry too much about.