You get up in the morning, and there’s ringing in your ears. This is odd because they weren’t doing that last night. So now you’re wondering what the cause might be: you haven’t been working in the shop (no power tools have been around your ears), you haven’t been playing your music at an unreasonable volume (it’s all been very moderate lately). But you did have a headache yesterday, and you did take some aspirin last night.
Might it be the aspirin?
You’re thinking to yourself “maybe it’s the aspirin”. You feel like you recall hearing that certain medications can bring about tinnitus symptoms. Could aspirin be one of those medications? And does that mean you should stop taking aspirin?
Medication And Tinnitus – What’s The Connection?
The long standing rumor has linked tinnitus symptoms with countless medications. But those rumors aren’t exactly what you’d call well-founded.
The common thought is that tinnitus is widely viewed as a side effect of a broad range of medicines. The reality is that there are a few kinds of medicine that can trigger tinnitus or tinnitus-like symptoms. So why do so many people believe tinnitus is such a common side effect? Well, there are a couple of hypotheses:
- Many medicines can impact your blood pressure, which also can affect tinnitus.
- The condition of tinnitus is fairly common. Persistent tinnitus is a problem for as many as 20 million people. When that many people cope with symptoms, it’s unavoidable that there will be some coincidental timing that appears. Enough people will begin using medications around the same time that their unrelated tinnitus begins to act up. It’s understandable that people would incorrectly think that their tinnitus symptoms are the result of medication because of the coincidental timing.
- Starting a new medicine can be stressful. Or, in some instances, it’s the root cause, the thing that you’re using the medication to deal with, that is stressful. And stress is commonly associated with tinnitus. So it isn’t medicine causing the tinnitus. The whole experience is stressful enough to cause this sort of confusion.
Which Medicines Can Cause Tinnitus?
There is a scientifically established link between tinnitus and a few medicines.
Strong Antibiotics And The Tinnitus Connection
There are ototoxic (harmful to the ears) properties in certain antibiotics. These strong antibiotics are typically only used in extreme situations and are known as aminoglycosides. High doses are usually avoided because they can cause damage to the ears and trigger tinnitus symptoms.
Blood Pressure Medication
Diuretics are often prescribed for individuals who have hypertension (high blood pressure). Some diuretics are known to cause tinnitus-like symptoms, but usually at significantly higher doses than you may typically encounter.
Aspirin Can Trigger Ringing in Your Ears
It is possible that the aspirin you used is causing that ringing. But here’s the thing: Dosage is once again very significant. Normally, high dosages are the significant problem. Tinnitus symptoms normally won’t be produced by normal headache dosages. But when you stop taking high dosages of aspirin, luckily, the ringing tends to go away.
Consult Your Doctor
Tinnitus might be able to be caused by several other uncommon medicines. And there are also some unusual medication mixtures and interactions that might generate tinnitus-like symptoms. That’s why your best option is going to be talking about any medication concerns you may have with your doctor or pharmacist.
That being said, if you begin to experience buzzing or ringing in your ears, or other tinnitus-like symptoms, have it checked out. Maybe it’s the medication, and maybe it’s not. Tinnitus is also strongly linked to hearing loss, and some treatments for hearing loss (like hearing aids) can help.