When you begin on a course of medication, it’s normal to want to be informed about any possible side effects. Can it give you a stomach ache? Will it dehydrate you? Cause sleeplessness? There could also be a more serious potential side effect that you might not think of – hearing loss. Lots of different drugs are known to trigger this condition which medical professionals call ototoxicity.
Exactly how many drugs are there that can lead to this issue? Well, there are a number of medications known to cause an ototoxic response, but exactly how many is still rather uncertain. So, which ones should you pay attention to and why?
Ototoxicity – what you should know
How can a medication damage your hearing after you take it? Your hearing can be damaged by medication in three distinct places:
- The vestibule of the ear: The cochlea is like a labyrinth, and situated right in the center is the vestibule of the ear. It helps manage balance. Vestibulotoxicity drugs can cause you to become dizzy or feel as if the room is spinning.
- The cochlea: The cochlea is part of the inner ear, shaped like a seashell, that transforms sound waves into electrical signals which your brain translates into the perception of sound. Damage to the cochlea affects the range of sound you can hear, usually starting with high frequencies then expanding to include lower ones.
- The stria vascularis: The stria vascularis is the part of the cochlea that generates fluid called endolymph. Too much or too little endolymph has a substantial impact on both balance and hearing.
What is the risk level for each drug?
The checklist of drugs which can cause temporary or permanent hearing loss may surprise you. Ototoxic medications are fairly common and the majority of people have a few of them in their medicine cabinets right now.
At the top of the list of ototoxic medications are over-the-counter pain killers such as:
- Naproxen
- Ibuprofen
Aspirin, also known as salicylates, is on this list too. The hearing problems caused by these drugs are typically reversible when you stop using them.
Antibiotics come in as a close second for common ototoxic medications. You may have heard of some of these:
- Streptomycin
- Kanamycin
- Tobramycin
Tinnitus can also be induced by several common compounds
Hearing loss can be the result of some medications and others may trigger tinnitus. If you hear phantom sounds, that might be tinnitus and it normally shows up as:
- A whooshing sound
- Thumping
- Ringing
- Popping
Some diuretics can also lead to tinnitus, including brand names Lasix, Bumex, and Diamox but the leading offenders in this category are things like:
- Nicotine
- Marijuana
- Caffeine
- Tonic water
You may not realize that the cup of coffee or black tea in the morning can trigger ringing in your ears. Here’s the good news, it should clear up after the chemical is out of your system. Ironically, some medications doctors prescribe to treat tinnitus are also on the list of potential causes such as:
- Amitriptyline
- Prednisone
- Lidocaine
After you discontinue the medication, the symptoms should improve, and your doctor will be there to help you with whatever you may need to know.
There are very specific symptoms with an ototoxic reaction
Depending on what specific medications you’re using and the health of your hearing, your particular symptoms will vary.
Here are a few things to check out for:
- Difficulty walking
- Tinnitus
- Hearing loss on one or both sides
- Vomiting
- Poor balance
- Blurred vision
Make sure you consult your doctor about any side effects the medication they prescribed may have, including ototoxicity. Contact your doctor right away if you detect any tinnitus symptoms that may have been caused by an ototoxic response.
Also, schedule a hearing examination with us, a baseline hearing test is a practical measure that can help you maintain good hearing health throughout your life.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7985331
