It’s natural to want to learn about the side effects of a medication when you start taking it. Can it upset your stomach? Will it cause dehydration? Make you drowsy? You might not even know about some of the more impactful side effects, including hearing loss. Ototoxicity is the medical name professionals have given this condition and there are lots of drugs that are known to cause it.
So can this problem be caused by a lot of medications? Well, there are numerous medications recognized to trigger an ototoxic response, but just how many is still somewhat uncertain. So, which ones should you pay attention to and why?
What to know about ototoxicity
How can a pill damage your hearing after you swallow it? Your hearing can be damaged by medication in three distinct places:
- The stria vascularis: Situated in the cochlea, the stria vascularis generates endolymph, the fluid in the inner ear. Too much or too little endolymph has a significant effect on both hearing and balance.
- The cochlea: That’s the seashell-shaped component of the inner ear that receives sound and translates it into an electrical signal that the brain can understand. Damage to the cochlea impacts the range of sound you can hear, typically starting with high frequencies then extending to include lower ones.
- The vestibule of the ear: This is the portion of the ear situated in the middle of the labyrinth that composes the cochlea. It helps manage balance. When a medication triggers an ototoxic response to the vestibule of the inner ear, you can experience balance issues and the sensation that the room is spinning.
Do different drugs have different risk levels?
You may be surprised by the list of medications that can result in an ototoxic reaction. Ototoxic medications are fairly common and most individuals have a few of them in their medicine cabinets right now.
At the top of the list of ototoxic medications are over-the-counter pain relievers such as:
- Ibuprofen
- Naproxen
Aspirin, also known as salicylates, is on this list too. The hearing problems caused by these drugs are normally reversible when you quit using them.
Antibiotics come in as a close second for prevalent ototoxic medications. You might have heard of some of these:
- Streptomycin
- Tobramycin
- Kanamycin
Tinnitus can also be induced by a number of common compounds
Some medications may cause tinnitus and others could result in loss of hearing. Here are a few ways tinnitus may present:
- Ringing
- Popping
- A whooshing sound
- Thumping
Certain diuretics will also trigger tinnitus, here are some of the main offenders:
- Nicotine
- Caffeine
- Tonic water
- Marijuana
Each and 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. Fortunately, 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:
- Amitriptyline
- Lidocaine
- Prednisone
Usually, the tinnitus will clear when you stop using the medication but always talk to your doctor, they will know what’s best for you.
There are very specific symptoms with an ototoxic response
Depending on what specific medications you’re using and your hearing health, your particular symptoms will vary.
Be on guard for:
- Poor balance
- Vomiting
- Difficulty walking
- Hearing loss on one or both sides
- Blurred vision
- Tinnitus
Keep yourself informed by always consulting 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 might have been caused by an ototoxic reaction.
Also, contact us today to schedule a hearing test to establish a baseline of your hearing health.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7985331