When you begin on a course of medication, it’s natural to want to be informed about any possible side effects. Can it cause digestive issues? Will it cause dehydration? Cause insomnia? There might also be a more severe possible side effect that you may not think of – hearing loss. Many different drugs are known to cause this condition which medical professionals call ototoxicity.
So can this problem be caused by a lot of drugs? Well, there are a number of medications recognized to cause an ototoxic reaction, but exactly how many is still rather uncertain. So which drugs do you personally need to be aware of?
Ototoxicity – what you should know
How can a pill cause problems with your hearing after you take it? Your hearing can be harmed by medication in three different places:
- The vestibule of the ear: This is the part of the ear that sits in the middle of the labyrinth that makes up the cochlea. Its principal function is to regulate balance. When a medication produces an ototoxic response to the vestibule of the inner ear, you can experience balance problems and the feeling that the room is spinning.
- The stria vascularis: The stria vascularis is the portion of the cochlea that generates fluid known as endolymph. Both hearing and balance are impacted by too much or too little endolymph.
- The cochlea: That’s the seashell-shaped component of the inner ear that takes sound and translates it into an electrical signal that the brain can understand. When the cochlea is compromised, you will start to lose some frequencies of sound, particularly in the high-frequency range.
What is the threat level for each drug?
You may be surprised by the list of drugs that can cause an ototoxic response. Several of them you probably have in your medicine cabinet even now, and it’s likely that you take them before you go to bed or when you’re dealing with a headache.
Over-the-counter pain medication like the following top the list:
- Naproxen
- Ibuprofen
Aspirin, also called salicylates, is on this list as well. The hearing issues caused by these drugs are generally reversible when you stop taking them.
Next on the list of common ototoxic medications would be certain antibiotics. You might have heard of some of these:
- Kanamycin
- Streptomycin
- Tobramycin
There are also a number of other compounds that can trigger tinnitus
Some drugs might cause tinnitus and others could result in loss of hearing. If you hear phantom noises, that may be tinnitus and it typically shows up as:
- A whooshing sound
- Popping
- Ringing
- Thumping
Various diuretics can also result in tinnitus, including brand names Lasix, Bumex, and Diamox but the leading offenders in this category are things like:
- Caffeine
- Marijuana
- Tonic water
- Nicotine
Every time you drink your coffee or black tea in the morning, you are exposing your body to something that might make your ears ring. Fortunately, once the diuretic has cleared your system, the ringing should recede. Ironically, some medications doctors prescribe to manage tinnitus are also on the list of potential causes such as:
- Prednisone
- Lidocaine
- Amitriptyline
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.
There are very distinct symptoms with an ototoxic response
Depending on what specific medications you’re taking and your hearing health, your particular symptoms will differ.
Here are some things to watch out for:
- Tinnitus
- Poor balance
- Blurred vision
- Difficulty walking
- Vomiting
- Hearing loss on one or both sides
Be certain that you consult your doctor about any possible side effects the medication they prescribed might have, including ototoxicity. Contact your doctor right away if you experience any tinnitus symptoms that may have been caused by an ototoxic response.
Also, give us a call 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