It’s normal to want to know about the side effects of a medication when you begin taking it. Can it give you a stomach ache? Will it cause dehydration? Cause sleeplessness? There may also be a more serious potential side effect that you may not be aware of – hearing loss. Many different drugs are known to trigger this condition which medical professionals label as ototoxicity.
Specifically how many drugs are there that can result in this issue? The answer is not clear, but there are lots that are known to cause ototoxic symptoms. So which drugs do you personally need to know about?
What to know about ototoxicity
How is it possible for your hearing to be affected by medication? There are three distinct places certain drugs can damage your hearing:
- The stria vascularis: The stria vascularis is the part of the cochlea that generates fluid known as endolymph. Both hearing and balance 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 center is the vestibule of the ear. It helps regulate balance. Vestibulotoxicity drugs can cause you to become dizzy or feel as if the room is spinning.
- The cochlea: That’s the seashell-shaped part of the inner ear that receives sound and translates it into an electrical signal that the brain can comprehend. When the cochlea is damaged, you will begin to lose some frequencies of sound, particularly in the high-frequency range.
What is the risk level for each drug?
The checklist of drugs which can cause temporary or permanent hearing loss might surprise you. Ototoxic medications are pretty common and most 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. The hearing problems due to these drugs are typically reversible when you stop using them.
Antibiotics are a close second for well-known ototoxic medications. You might have heard of some of these:
- Streptomycin
- Tobramycin
- Kanamycin
There are also a number of other compounds that can induce tinnitus
Hearing loss can be the result of some medications and others might trigger tinnitus. If you hear phantom noises, that could be tinnitus and it typically shows up as:
- Ringing
- Popping
- Thumping
- A whooshing sound
Certain diuretics will also cause tinnitus, here are some of the main offenders:
- Nicotine
- Tonic water
- Caffeine
- Marijuana
Every time you drink your coffee or black tea in the morning, you are exposing your body to something that could make your ears ring. Here’s the good news, it should improve after the chemical is out of your system. Ironically, some drugs doctors prescribe to treat tinnitus are also on the list of possible causes such as:
- Prednisone
- Lidocaine
- Amitriptyline
Usually, the tinnitus will end when you quit using the medication but always talk to your doctor, they will know what’s best for you.
There are very distinct symptoms with an ototoxic response
The signs or symptoms of tinnitus vary based on your hearing health and which medication you get.
Be on guard for:
- Vomiting
- Poor balance
- Hearing loss on one or both sides
- Blurred vision
- Difficulty walking
- Tinnitus
Keep yourself informed by always consulting your physician about the possible side effects of a medication, don’t hesitate to ask about ototoxicity. If you experience ototoxicity we recommend that you contact your doctor to talk about your symptoms, they will know what’s best.
Also, give us a call today to schedule a hearing test to establish a baseline of your hearing health.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7985331