It’s natural to want to understand the side effects of a medication when you start using it. Can it cause digestive issues? Will it cause your mouth to dry out? Cause insomnia? You may not even know about some of the more impactful side effects, like hearing loss. Ototoxicity is the medical name professionals have given this condition and there are lots of drugs that are known to cause it.
Exactly how many drugs are there that can result in this problem? Well, there are numerous medications recognized to trigger an ototoxic response, but exactly how many is still somewhat unclear. So which medications do you personally need to know about?
Ototoxicity – what you should know
How is it possible for your hearing to be impacted by medication? Your hearing can be damaged by medication in three distinct places:
- The vestibule of the ear: The cochlea is like a labyrinth, and sitting right in the center is the vestibule of the ear. Its main function is to manage balance. Vestibulotoxicity drugs can cause you to become dizzy or feel like 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. When the cochlea is damaged, you will start to lose some frequencies of sound, especially in the high-frequency range.
- The stria vascularis: Located in the cochlea, the stria vascularis produces endolymph, the fluid in the inner ear. Both hearing and balance are impacted by too much or too little endolymph.
What is the risk level for each drug?
The checklist of drugs which can result in temporary or permanent hearing loss might surprise you. Ototoxic medications are fairly common and the majority of people have several of them in their medicine cabinets right now.
Over-the-counter pain medication like the following top the list:
- Ibuprofen
- Naproxen
Aspirin, also known as salicylates, is on this list too. When you stop taking these drugs, your hearing will usually go back to normal.
Antibiotics are a close second for prevalent ototoxic drugs. Some of these may be familiar:
- Kanamycin
- Tobramycin
- Streptomycin
Tinnitus can also be triggered by several common compounds
Some medications might cause tinnitus and others could result in loss of hearing. Here are some ways tinnitus may present:
- Ringing
- A whooshing sound
- Popping
- Thumping
Specific diuretics will also cause tinnitus, here are some of the primary offenders:
- Caffeine
- Tonic water
- Nicotine
- Marijuana
Every time you drink your coffee or black tea in the morning, you are exposing your body to something that may make your ears ring. Luckily, once the diuretic has cleared your system, the ringing should recede. The following drugs are prescribed to treat tinnitus but ironically, they are themselves diuretics:
- Amitriptyline
- Prednisone
- Lidocaine
Typically, the tinnitus will clear when you stop using the medication but always talk to your doctor, they will know what’s best for you.
Ototoxicity has particular 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:
- Hearing loss on one or both sides
- Poor balance
- Blurred vision
- Vomiting
- Difficulty walking
- Tinnitus
Keep yourself informed by always consulting your doctor about the potential side effects of a medication, don’t hesitate to ask about ototoxicity. Contact your doctor right away if you detect any tinnitus symptoms that might have been caused by an ototoxic reaction.
Also, schedule a hearing exam with us, a baseline hearing test is a practical measure that can help you preserve good hearing health throughout your life.
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References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7985331