It’s normal to want to know about the side effects of a medication when you begin using it. Can it trigger digestive problems? Will it cause dehydration? Make you drowsy? There might also be a more severe possible side effect that you might not be aware of – hearing loss. Ototoxicity is the medical name professionals have given this condition and there are lots of drugs that are known to cause it.
So can this issue be triggered by a lot of medications? Well, there are a number of medications recognized 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 pill damage your hearing after you take it? There are three distinct places specific drugs can damage your hearing:
- The stria vascularis: Located in the cochlea, the stria vascularis generates endolymph, the fluid in the inner ear. Both balance and hearing are affected by too much or too little endolymph.
- The vestibule of the ear: The cochlea is like a labyrinth, and situated right in the middle is the vestibule of the ear. Its primary function is to manage balance. When a medication triggers an ototoxic response 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 component of the inner ear that receives sound and translates it into an electrical signal that the brain can understand. 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 medications that can result in temporary or permanent hearing loss may surprise you. Many of them you most likely have in your medicine cabinet even now, and it’s likely that you take them before you go to bed or when you have a headache.
Over-the-counter pain medications including the following top the list:
- Naproxen
- Ibuprofen
Aspirin, also called salicylates, is on this list too. When you stop taking these drugs, your hearing will typically go back to normal.
Next on the list of common ototoxic medications would be certain antibiotics. You may have heard of some of these:
- Tobramycin
- Kanamycin
- Streptomycin
Tinnitus can also be triggered by several common compounds
Hearing loss can be the result of some drugs and others may cause tinnitus. Here are a few ways tinnitus may present:
- A whooshing sound
- Ringing
- Thumping
- Popping
Some diuretics can also lead to tinnitus, including brand names Lasix, Bumex, and Diamox but the primary offenders in this category are things like:
- Marijuana
- Nicotine
- Tonic water
- Caffeine
Every single time you drink your coffee or black tea in the morning, you are subjecting your body to something that might make your ears ring. The good news is it should clear up once the drug is out of your system. Ironically, some drugs doctors prescribe to treat tinnitus are also on the list of potential causes such as:
- Prednisone
- Amitriptyline
- Lidocaine
Once 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
The signs or symptoms of tinnitus differ depending on your hearing health and which medication you get.
Be on guard for:
- Blurred vision
- Poor balance
- Tinnitus
- Vomiting
- Hearing loss on one or both sides
- Difficulty walking
Keep yourself informed by always consulting your doctor about the possible side effects of a medication, don’t hesitate to ask about ototoxicity. Get in touch with your doctor right away if you experience any tinnitus symptoms that may have been caused by an ototoxic reaction.
Also, call us today to set up a hearing exam to establish a baseline of your hearing health.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7985331