It’s natural to want to understand the side effects of a medication when you begin using it. Can it upset your stomach? Will it cause your mouth to dry out? Make you drowsy? There might also be a more severe potential side effect that you might not think of – 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 a number of medications recognized to cause an ototoxic response, but just how many is still somewhat unclear. So, which ones should you pay attention to and why?
What you need to know about ototoxicity
How can a pill wreak havoc on your hearing after you take it? Your hearing can be damaged by medication in three different places:
- 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 get dizzy or feel as if the room is spinning.
- The stria vascularis: The stria vascularis is the portion of the cochlea that generates fluid called endolymph. Both balance and hearing are affected by too much or too little endolymph.
- 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. 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?
The checklist of medications that can cause temporary or permanent hearing loss might surprise you. 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.
Topping the list of ototoxic medications are over-the-counter pain relievers including:
- Naproxen
- Ibuprofen
You can add salicylates to the list, better known as aspirin. When you quit using these medications, your hearing will typically go back to normal.
Antibiotics are a close second for common ototoxic drugs. Some of these might be familiar:
- Tobramycin
- Streptomycin
- Kanamycin
Tinnitus can also be induced by several common compounds
Some medications might cause tinnitus and others could result in loss of hearing. Here are some ways tinnitus might present:
- Ringing
- Thumping
- Popping
- A whooshing sound
Certain diuretics will also cause tinnitus, here are a few of the main offenders:
- Tonic water
- Caffeine
- Marijuana
- Nicotine
You might not realize 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 go away. The following drugs are prescribed to treat tinnitus but ironically, they are themselves diuretics:
- Lidocaine
- Amitriptyline
- Prednisone
Once you stop using the medication, the symptoms should improve, and your doctor will be there to help you with whatever you may need to know.
There are very specific symptoms with an ototoxic reaction
Depending on what specific medications you’re taking and the health of your hearing, your particular symptoms will vary.
Here are some things to check out for:
- Poor balance
- Blurred vision
- Hearing loss on one or both sides
- Vomiting
- Tinnitus
- Difficulty walking
Keep yourself informed by always asking your doctor about the potential 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, schedule a hearing exam with us, a baseline hearing test is a practical measure that can help you preserve good hearing health throughout your life.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7985331
