Science-- there's something for everyone

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Caffeine OK for tinnitus sufferers

It is a commonly held assumption that caffeine makes tinnitus worse. Lindsay St. Claire of the University of Bristol set out to test this hypothesis.

Sixty-six tinnitus-suffering volunteers who normally consume at least 150 mg per day of caffeine took place in a thirty-day trial. They were divided into two groups. One group consumed their usual amount of caffeine for 15 days, was weaned off caffeine over three days, and then had no caffeine for the remaining time. The second group was weaned off caffeine over the first three days, spent the next 11 days without caffeine, and then was brought back to their normal levels. Neither group ever knew whether or not they were receiving caffeine that day.

The volunteers recorded their tinnitus experiences throughout the month. The conclusion of the study was that tinnitus severity was not affected by caffeine consumption.

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