It’s normal to want to know about the side effects of a medication when you start using it. Can it give you a stomach ache? Will it cause dehydration? Cause insomnia? There may also be a more severe possible side effect that you may not be aware of – hearing loss. Many different medications are known to trigger this condition which medical professionals call ototoxicity.
So can this problem be triggered by a lot of drugs? Well, there are a number of medications recognized to cause an ototoxic response, but exactly how many is still rather unclear. So, which ones do you need to pay attention to and why?
Ototoxicity – what you should know
How can a pill wreak havoc on your hearing after you take it? There are three distinct places specific drugs can damage your hearing:
- The vestibule of the ear: This is the part of the ear that sits in the middle of the labyrinth that makes up the cochlea. Its primary function is to manage balance. When a medication causes an ototoxic response to the vestibule of the inner ear, you can experience balance issues and the feeling that the room is spinning.
- The stria vascularis: The stria vascularis is the part of the cochlea that generates fluid known as endolymph. Too much or too little endolymph has a significant effect on both balance and hearing.
- The cochlea: That’s the seashell-shaped component of the inner ear that takes sound and translates it into an electrical signal that the brain can understand. When the cochlea is compromised, you will begin to lose some frequencies of sound, particularly in the high-frequency range.
What is the threat level for each drug?
You may be surprised by the list of medications that can cause an ototoxic response. Ototoxic medications are fairly common and the majority of people have several of them in their medicine cabinets right now.
Over-the-counter pain medication including the following top the list:
- Naproxen
- Ibuprofen
Aspirin, also called salicylates, is on this list as well. The hearing problems due to these drugs are generally correctable when you stop taking them.
Next on the list of common ototoxic drugs would be certain antibiotics. You may have heard of some of these:
- Tobramycin
- Kanamycin
- Streptomycin
There are also several other compounds that can induce tinnitus
Hearing loss can be the result of some medications and others may cause tinnitus. If you hear phantom noises, that could be tinnitus and it normally shows up as:
- Ringing
- Thumping
- Popping
- A whooshing sound
Some diuretics can also cause tinnitus, including brand names Lasix, Bumex, and Diamox but the leading offenders in this category are things like:
- Caffeine
- Marijuana
- Nicotine
- Tonic water
Each and every time you drink your coffee or black tea in the morning, you are exposing your body to something that may make your ears ring. Fortunately, once the diuretic has cleared your system, the ringing should go away. The following drugs are prescribed to treat tinnitus but ironically, they are themselves diuretics:
- Amitriptyline
- Prednisone
- Lidocaine
Usually, the tinnitus will end when you stop using the medication but always consult your doctor, they will know what’s best for you.
There are very distinct symptoms with an ototoxic reaction
The signs or symptoms of tinnitus vary depending on your ear health and which medication you get.
Here are a few things to check out for:
- Difficulty walking
- Blurred vision
- Poor balance
- Tinnitus
- Hearing loss on one or both sides
- Vomiting
Keep yourself informed by always consulting your doctor about the potential side effects of a medication, don’t hesitate to ask about ototoxicity. If you experience ototoxicity we recommend that you contact your doctor to talk about your symptoms, they will know what’s best.
Also, schedule a hearing examination with us, a baseline hearing test is a practical step that can help you maintain good hearing health throughout your life.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7985331