When you begin on a course of medication, it’s normal to want to be informed about any possible side effects. Can it upset your stomach? Will it cause dry mouth? Make you drowsy? You might not even be aware of some of the more impactful side effects, such as hearing loss. Ototoxicity is the medical name professionals have given this condition and there are many drugs that are known to cause it.
So can this problem be caused by a lot of medications? The answer is unclear, but there are lots that are known to cause ototoxic symptoms. So which medications do you personally need to know about?
What you need to know about ototoxicity
How is it possible for your hearing to be affected by medication? Your hearing can be harmed by medication in three distinct places:
- The vestibule of the ear: The cochlea is like a labyrinth, and sitting right in the middle is the vestibule of the ear. Its primary function is to manage balance. When a medication causes an ototoxic reaction to the vestibule of the inner ear, you can experience balance problems and the sensation that the room is spinning.
- The cochlea: The cochlea is part of the inner ear, shaped like a seashell, that converts sound waves into electrical signals which your brain translates into the perception of sound. Damage to the cochlea impacts the range of sound you can hear, typically starting with high frequencies then expanding to include lower ones.
- The stria vascularis: Found in the cochlea, the stria vascularis generates endolymph, the fluid in the inner ear. Both hearing and balance are affected by too much or too little endolymph.
Do different drugs have different risk levels?
You may be surprised by the list of medications that can cause an ototoxic response. Ototoxic medications are fairly common and most people have several of them in their medicine cabinets right now.
At the top of the list of ototoxic medications are over-the-counter pain killers including:
- Naproxen
- Ibuprofen
You can add salicylates to the list, which is aspirin. The hearing issues caused by these drugs are typically reversible when you stop using them.
Antibiotics come in as a close second for well-known ototoxic drugs. Some of these may be familiar:
- Streptomycin
- Tobramycin
- Kanamycin
Tinnitus can also be induced by a number of common compounds
Hearing loss can be the outcome of some drugs and others might cause tinnitus. If you hear phantom sounds, that may be tinnitus and it typically shows up as:
- Thumping
- Ringing
- A whooshing sound
- Popping
Specific diuretics will also cause tinnitus, here are some of the primary offenders:
- Caffeine
- Marijuana
- Nicotine
- Tonic water
You might not be aware that the cup of coffee or black tea in the morning can cause ringing in your ears. Here’s the good news, it should clear up once the chemical is out of your system. The following medications are prescribed to treat tinnitus but ironically, they are themselves diuretics:
- Amitriptyline
- Lidocaine
- Prednisone
After you discontinue the medication, the symptoms should improve, and your doctor will be there to help you with anything you may need to know.
There are very specific symptoms with an ototoxic response
The signs or symptoms of tinnitus vary based on your ear health and which medication you get.
Be on guard for:
- Tinnitus
- Poor balance
- Blurred vision
- Vomiting
- Hearing loss on one or both sides
- Difficulty walking
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 might have been caused by an ototoxic response.
Also, schedule a hearing test with us, a baseline hearing test is a proactive step that can help you preserve good hearing health throughout your life.
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References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7985331