When you start on a course of medication, it’s natural to want to be informed about any potential side effects. Can it trigger digestive problems? Will it cause dry mouth? Make you drowsy? You may not even be aware of some of the more impactful side effects, including hearing loss. Ototoxicity is the medical name professionals have given this condition and there are many drugs that are known to cause it.
Specifically how many medications are there that can cause this problem? Well, there are numerous medications known to trigger an ototoxic response, but just how many is still somewhat unclear. So, which ones do you need to pay attention to and why?
What you need to know about ototoxicity
How can a medication damage your hearing after you take it? There are three different 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 composes the cochlea. Its primary function is to regulate balance. Vestibulotoxicity drugs can cause you to become dizzy or feel like the room is spinning.
- The stria vascularis: Located in the cochlea, the stria vascularis makes endolymph, the fluid in the inner ear. Both balance and hearing are impacted by too much or too little endolymph.
- 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. When the cochlea is compromised, you will begin to lose some frequencies of sound, particularly in the high-frequency range.
Do different drugs have different risk levels?
The checklist of drugs that can result in temporary or permanent hearing loss might surprise you. Ototoxic medications are fairly common and the majority of individuals have several of them in their medicine cabinets right now.
At the top of the list of ototoxic medications are over-the-counter pain relievers such as:
- Ibuprofen
- Naproxen
Aspirin, also known as salicylates, is on this list too. The hearing problems due to these drugs are generally reversible when you quit using them.
Antibiotics come in as a close second for prevalent ototoxic medications. You might have heard of some of these:
- Streptomycin
- Kanamycin
- Tobramycin
Tinnitus can also be triggered by a number of common compounds
Some drugs may cause tinnitus and others could result in loss of hearing. If you hear phantom noises, that might be tinnitus and it normally shows up as:
- Ringing
- A whooshing sound
- Thumping
- Popping
Some diuretics can also result in tinnitus, including brand names Lasix, Bumex, and Diamox but the primary offenders in this category are things like:
- Tonic water
- Nicotine
- Marijuana
- Caffeine
Each and every time you drink your coffee or black tea in the morning, you are exposing your body to something that might make your ears ring. The good news is it should improve once the drug is out of your system. The following medications are prescribed to manage tinnitus but ironically, they are themselves diuretics:
- Amitriptyline
- Lidocaine
- Prednisone
Once you discontinue the medication, the symptoms should go away, and your doctor will be there to help you with anything you may need to know.
Ototoxicity has particular symptoms
The signs or symptoms of tinnitus differ depending on your hearing health and which medication you get.
Here are a few things to check out for:
- Blurred vision
- Hearing loss on one or both sides
- Difficulty walking
- Poor balance
- Vomiting
- Tinnitus
Make sure you consult your doctor about any possible side effects the medication they prescribed might have, including ototoxicity. Get in touch with your doctor right away if you experience any tinnitus symptoms that might have been caused by an ototoxic response.
Also, schedule a hearing exam 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