When you begin on a course of medication, it’s normal to want to be informed about any potential side effects. Can it give you a stomach ache? Will it dehydrate you? Cause sleeplessness? You may not even know about some of the more impactful side effects, including hearing loss. Ototoxicity is the medical term professionals have given this condition and there are many drugs that are known to cause it.
Specifically how many drugs are there that can result in this issue? Well, there are numerous medications known to cause an ototoxic response, but exactly how many is still somewhat unclear. So which drugs do you personally need to know about?
Ototoxicity – what you should know
How can a pill cause problems with your hearing after you take it? There are three different places specific drugs can harm your hearing:
- The vestibule of the ear: The cochlea is like a labyrinth, and situated right in the middle is the vestibule of the ear. Its principal function is to manage balance. When a medication triggers an ototoxic reaction to the vestibule of the inner ear, you can experience balance problems and the sensation that the room is spinning.
- The cochlea: That’s the seashell-shaped part of the inner ear that takes sound and converts it into an electrical signal that the brain can understand. Damage to the cochlea affects the range of sound you can hear, usually beginning with high frequencies then extending to include lower ones.
- The stria vascularis: Found in the cochlea, the stria vascularis produces endolymph, the fluid in the inner ear. Both balance and hearing are affected by too much or too little endolymph.
What is the risk level for each drug?
You may be surprised by the list of drugs that can result in an ototoxic reaction. Ototoxic medications are fairly common and the majority of individuals have a few of them in their medicine cabinets right now.
Over-the-counter pain medication including the following top the list:
- Ibuprofen
- Naproxen
You can add salicylates to the list, which is aspirin. The hearing issues due to these drugs are generally correctable when you stop using them.
Antibiotics come in as a close second for prevalent ototoxic medications. You might have heard of some of these:
- Streptomycin
- Kanamycin
- Tobramycin
There are also several other compounds that can induce tinnitus
Hearing loss can be the result of some drugs and others may trigger tinnitus. Here are a few ways tinnitus may present:
- Ringing
- Thumping
- Popping
- A whooshing sound
Some diuretics can also lead to tinnitus, including brand names Lasix, Bumex, and Diamox but the primary offenders in this category are things like:
- Tonic water
- Nicotine
- Caffeine
- Marijuana
You might not be aware that the cup of coffee or black tea in the morning can trigger ringing in your ears. Luckily, once the diuretic has cleared your system, the ringing should recede. Ironically, some drugs doctors prescribe to manage tinnitus are also on the list of possible causes such as:
- Prednisone
- Lidocaine
- Amitriptyline
After you stop using the medication, the symptoms should go away, and your doctor will be there to help you with whatever you may need to know.
Ototoxicity has particular symptoms
Depending on what specific medications you’re using and the health of your hearing, your particular symptoms will differ.
Be on guard for:
- Difficulty walking
- Vomiting
- Tinnitus
- Poor balance
- Hearing loss on one or both sides
- Blurred vision
Keep yourself informed by always consulting your doctor about the possible side effects of a medication, don’t hesitate to ask about ototoxicity. Contact your doctor right away if you detect any tinnitus symptoms that may have been caused by an ototoxic response.
Also, contact us today to schedule a hearing exam to establish a baseline of your hearing health.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7985331