When you start on a course of medication, it’s natural to want to be educated about any possible side effects. Can it trigger digestive issues? Will it dehydrate you? Make you drowsy? You might not even know about some of the more impactful side effects, such as hearing loss. Ototoxicity is the medical term professionals have given this condition and there are many drugs that are known to cause it.
So can this problem be caused by a lot of drugs? The answer is not clear, but there are plenty that are known to cause ototoxic symptoms. So, which ones do you need to pay attention to and why?
What you need to know about ototoxicity
How is it possible for your hearing to be impacted by medication? There are three distinct places certain drugs can harm your hearing:
- The cochlea: That’s the seashell-shaped component of the inner ear that takes sound and converts it into an electrical signal that the brain can comprehend. Damage to the cochlea impacts the range of sound you can hear, typically starting with high frequencies then expanding to include lower ones.
- The stria vascularis: Found in the cochlea, the stria vascularis generates endolymph, the fluid in the inner ear. Too much or too little endolymph has a significant impact on both balance and hearing.
- The vestibule of the ear: This is the portion of the ear that sits in the middle of the labyrinth that makes up the cochlea. It helps manage balance. When a medication triggers an ototoxic reaction to the vestibule of the inner ear, you can experience balance issues and the sensation that the room is spinning.
What is the risk level for each drug?
You might be surprised by the list of medications that can cause an ototoxic response. Many of them you most likely have in your medicine cabinet even now, and it’s likely that you take them before you go to bed or when you have a headache.
Over-the-counter pain medications including the following top the list:
- Ibuprofen
- Naproxen
You can add salicylates to the list, better known as aspirin. When you stop using these medications, your hearing will usually go back to normal.
Antibiotics come in as a close second for well-known ototoxic medications. Some of these might be familiar:
- Kanamycin
- Tobramycin
- Streptomycin
There are also a number of other compounds that can trigger tinnitus
Hearing loss can be the result of some medications and others might trigger tinnitus. Here are some ways tinnitus might present:
- Popping
- Thumping
- A whooshing sound
- Ringing
Some diuretics can also lead to tinnitus, including brand names Lasix, Bumex, and Diamox but the leading offenders in this category are things like:
- Marijuana
- Tonic water
- Nicotine
- Caffeine
Each and every time you drink your coffee or black tea in the morning, you are exposing your body to something that could make your ears ring. Here’s the good news, it should improve after the chemical is out of your system. The following drugs are prescribed to manage tinnitus but ironically, they are themselves diuretics:
- Prednisone
- Amitriptyline
- Lidocaine
Normally, the tinnitus will clear when you stop using the medication but always seek advice from your doctor, they will know what’s best for you.
Ototoxicity has specific symptoms
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 watch out for:
- Poor balance
- Hearing loss on one or both sides
- Vomiting
- Difficulty walking
- Blurred vision
- Tinnitus
Keep yourself informed by always asking your doctor about the possible side effects of a medication, don’t hesitate to ask about ototoxicity. If you experience ototoxicity we recommend that you contact your doctor to report your symptoms, they will know what’s best.
Also, schedule a hearing examination with us, a baseline hearing test is a proactive step that can help you preserve good hearing health throughout your life.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7985331