It’s normal to want to understand the side effects of a medication when you start taking it. Can it upset your stomach? Will it cause your mouth to dry out? Cause insomnia? There may also be a more serious potential side effect that you may not be aware of – hearing loss. Lots of different drugs are known to cause this condition which medical professionals label as ototoxicity.
Specifically how many medications are there that can result in this problem? Well, there are a number of medications known to trigger an ototoxic reaction, but exactly how many is still rather uncertain. So which medications do you personally need to know about?
Ototoxicity – what you should know
How is it possible for your hearing to be impacted by medication? Your hearing can be damaged by medication in three distinct places:
- The stria vascularis: Located in the cochlea, the stria vascularis generates endolymph, the fluid in the inner ear. Both hearing and balance are impacted by too much or too little endolymph.
- The cochlea: The cochlea is part of the inner ear, shaped like a seashell, that transforms sound waves into electrical signals which your brain translates into the sense of sound. When the cochlea is compromised, you will start to lose some frequencies of sound, particularly in the high-frequency range.
- The vestibule of the ear: This is the part of the ear that sits in the middle of the labyrinth that composes the cochlea. Its principal function is to manage balance. When a medication triggers an ototoxic response to the vestibule of the inner ear, you can experience balance issues and the feeling that the room is spinning.
Do different drugs have different risk levels?
You might be surprised by the list of drugs that can cause an ototoxic reaction. Many of them you likely have in your medicine cabinet even now, and chances are you take them before you go to bed or when you have a headache.
At the top of the list of ototoxic medications are over-the-counter pain killers including:
- Ibuprofen
- Naproxen
You can add salicylates to the list, which is aspirin. The hearing issues caused by these drugs are generally correctable when you quit using them.
Antibiotics come in as a close second for well-known ototoxic medications. You might have heard of some of these:
- Tobramycin
- Streptomycin
- Kanamycin
There are also a number of other compounds that can cause tinnitus
Some medications may cause tinnitus and others could lead to loss of hearing. Here are a few ways tinnitus may present:
- Ringing
- Popping
- Thumping
- A whooshing sound
Some 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
You may not realize that the cup of coffee or black tea in the morning can trigger ringing in your ears. The good news is it should improve once the chemical is out of your system. The following drugs are prescribed to treat tinnitus but ironically, they are themselves diuretics:
- Lidocaine
- Amitriptyline
- Prednisone
Typically, the tinnitus will end when you quit taking the medication but always consult your doctor, they will know what’s best for you.
Ototoxicity has specific symptoms
Depending on what specific medications you’re using and the health of your hearing, your particular symptoms will differ.
Here are some things to check out for:
- Hearing loss on one or both sides
- Blurred vision
- Difficulty walking
- Tinnitus
- Vomiting
- Poor balance
Be sure you consult your doctor about any possible side effects the medication they prescribed may have, including ototoxicity. Contact your doctor right away if you detect any tinnitus symptoms that might have been caused by an ototoxic response.
Also, give us a call today to set up a hearing test to establish a baseline of your hearing health.
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References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7985331