You might not be aware that there are consequences linked to aspirin, ibuprofen, and other over-the-counter pain relievers according to new research.
You’ll want to think about the risks to your hearing that many over-the-counter and prescription pain medication carry before you decide to use them. Astonishingly, younger men may be at higher risk.
What Studies Say About Hearing Loss And Pain Relievers
A comprehensive, 30-year collective study was conducted involving researchers from esteemed universities including Harvard, Brigham Young, and Vanderbilt. A bi-yearly survey was sent to 27,000 people between the age of 40 and 74 which included health and lifestyle questions.
Researchers were not certain what to expect because the questionnaire was very broad. After reviewing the data, they were surprised to find a solid link between loss of hearing and over-the-counter pain relievers.
They also came to a more surprising realization. Men who are 50 or under who regularly use acetaminophen were almost twice as likely to have hearing loss. Those who regularly used aspirin had a 50% chance of experiencing hearing loss. And those who used NSAIDs (ibuprofen, naproxen) had a 61% chance of developing lasting hearing loss.
It was also striking that consuming low doses frequently seemed to be more detrimental to their hearing than using higher doses from time to time.
We can’t be sure that the pain reliever actually was the cause of this loss of hearing even though we can see a definite correlation. More research is needed to prove causation. But these discoveries are compelling enough that we should rethink how we’re utilizing pain relievers.
Current Theories About The Connection Between Hearing Loss And Pain Relievers
Scientists have several conceivable theories as to why pain relievers may cause hearing impairment.
Your nerves communicate the feeling of pain to your brain. Over-the-counter pain relievers work by reducing blood flow to specific nerves. You then feel reduced pain as the normal pain signals are blocked.
There might also be a reduction of blood flow to the inner ear according to scientists. Less blood flow means less oxygen and nutrients. Cells will die from malnourishment if this blood flow is decreased for extended periods.
Also, there’s a particular protein that protects the inner ear from loud noises and it seems like acetaminophen, in particular, could block this.
What You Can do?
The most significant insight was that men younger than 50 were more likely to be impacted. This is an earnest reminder that hearing loss can occur at any age. But as you get older, if you take the appropriate steps you will have a better chance of maintaining your hearing.
While it’s important to note that using these pain relievers can have some negative repercussions, that doesn’t mean you need to completely stop using them. Use pain medication only when you absolutely need to and when using prescription medication, only as prescribed.
Seek out other pain relief solutions, including gentle exercise. You should also decrease the consumption of inflammation-causing foods and increase Omega-3 fat in your diet. These approaches have been shown to naturally decrease pain and inflammation while strengthening blood flow.
And finally, schedule an appointment with us for a hearing test. Don’t forget, hearing exams are for people of all ages. The best time to start talking to us about preventing additional hearing loss is when you under 50.