Medications that damage your hearing are remarkably common. From tinnitus drugs that stop the ringing in the ears to drugs that may cause loss of hearing, learn which of them has an effect on your hearing.
Your Hearing Can be Affected by Medicines
Prescription drugs are an almost $500 billion industry and the United States makes up nearly half of that consumption. Do you regularly use over-the-counter medication? Or are you taking ones that your doctor prescribes? It frequently happens that people neglect the warnings that come with nearly all medications because they think they won’t be impacted. So it’s important to point out that some medications increase the risk of hearing loss. On a more positive note, some medicines, including tinnitus medications, can actually help your hearing. But how can you know which medications are ok and which are the medications will be hazardous? And what do you do if a doctor prescribes medications that lead to loss of hearing? Here’s the long and short on medications.
1. Over-the-Counter Pain Relievers That Harm Your Hearing
Most people are shocked to find out that something they take so casually might cause loss of hearing. Experts examined the type of pain relievers, regularity and duration along with hearing loss frequency. There are a few studies of both women and men that emphasize this link. A collaborative study among Harvard, Brigham Young and Women’s Hospital revealed something alarming. Over-the-counter pain relievers, if used on a regular basis, will harm hearing. 2 or more times per week is described as regular use. You commonly see this frequency in people with chronic pain. Using too much aspirin at once could result in temporary loss of hearing, which might become permanent over time. Naproxen, ibuprofen and acetaminophen are the biggest offenders. But you may be surprised to find the one with the strongest link. The drug typically known as acetaminophen was the culprit. For men under the age of 50 there’s almost double the risk of hearing loss if they were treating chronic pain with this drug. To be clear, prescription medications are equally as bad. Hearing loss may be caused by the following:
- Fentinol
- Oxycodone
- Methadone
It’s unclear exactly what triggers this loss of hearing. The nerves of the inner ear that detect sound could be destroyed by the reduction of blood flow possibly caused by these drugs. That’s why loss of hearing might be the consequence of sustained use of these medications.
2. Some Antibiotics Are Ototoxic
Most antibiotics are probably relatively safe when used as directed and you don’t have an allergic reaction to it. But certain forms of antibiotic may raise the risk of hearing loss: Aminoglycoside. Human studies haven’t yet come up with solid data because they are in their initial phases. But there certainly seem to be a few individuals who have developed loss of hearing after using these medications. Results from animal-testing are persuading enough. There could be something to be worried about as indicated by the medical community. Each time mice take these antibiotics, they eventually get hearing loss. The following conditions are generally treated with Aminoglycoside antibiotics:
- Bacterial meningitis
- Tuberculosis (TB)
- Some other respiratory diseases
- Cystic fibrosis
More prolonged conditions are treated over a longer duration with these. Until not too long ago, Neomycin was actually a very widespread antibiotic used to manage children’s ear infections and pneumonia. Alternate options are now being prescribed by doctors because of concerns about side effects. More research is needed to figure out why certain antibiotics could contribute to hearing loss. It appears that lasting harm may be caused when these drugs create inflammation of the inner ear.
3. How Quinine Affects Your Hearing
You’re aware of what quinine is if you’ve ever had a gin and tonic. Quinine is used to manage malaria and has also been employed to assist people who suffer from restless leg syndrome while also being the key ingredient in tonic that gives the drink its bitter taste. While research that studies the correlation between hearing loss an quinine aren’t that well-known. Reversible loss of hearing has been observed in some malaria patients.
4. Your Hearing Can be Harmed by Chemo Drugs
When you have to deal with chemo, you know there will be side-effects. Doctors are filling the body with toxins in order to kill cancer cells. Healthy cells and cancer are often indistinguishable by these toxins. These medications are being analyzed:
- Carboplatin commonly known as Paraplatin
- Bleomycin commonly known as Blenoxane
- Cisplatin commonly known as Platinol
Regrettably, chemo-induced hearing loss is an integral trade off when battling cancer. You may want to talk to your hearing care expert about monitoring your hearing while you’re dealing with cancer treatments. Or you may want to inform us what your personal situation is and find out if there are any recommendations we can make.
5. Loop Diuretics and Hearing Loss
You might be using diuretics to help regulate the balance of fluids in your body. As with any attempt to regulate something with medication, you can go too far in one direction, dehydrating the body. This can cause salt vs water ratios to become too high in the body, causing inflammation. Although it’s generally temporary, this can cause hearing loss. But loss of hearing may become permanent if you let this imbalance continue. The drugs listed in this article are ototoxic and if taken with loop diuretics could worsen permanent loss of hearing. Lasix is the most well known loop diuretic, so if you have been prescribed this medication, you should consult your doctor about any side effects that might occur in combination with other medications you’re using.
What to Do If You’re Taking Drugs That May Cause Loss of Hearing
You need to talk to your doctor before you discontinue taking any medications they have prescribed. Before you talk to your doctor, you will need to take inventory of all your medications. You can ask your doctor if there might be an alternative to any medications that trigger loss of hearing. You can also reduce your need for medications with some lifestyle changes. In certain cases, slight changes to your diet and exercise routine can give you a healthier life. These changes may also be able to reduce pain and water retention while fortifying your immune system. If you are currently or have ever used these ototoxic drugs, you need to make an appointment to have your hearing examined as soon as you can. It can be hard to notice hearing loss at first because it advances very slowly. But don’t be mistaken: you might not recognize the ways in which it can affect your health and happiness, and catching it early gives you more options for treatment.