It’s natural to want to learn about the side effects of a medication when you start using it. Can it cause digestive problems? Will it cause dry mouth? Cause sleeplessness? You might not even know about 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 issue be caused by a lot of drugs? The answer is unclear, but there are plenty that are known to cause ototoxic symptoms. 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? There are three different places specific drugs can harm your hearing:
- The stria vascularis: The stria vascularis is the part of the cochlea that generates fluid called endolymph. Too much or too little endolymph has a significant effect on both hearing and balance.
- The cochlea: That’s the seashell-shaped part of the inner ear that receives sound and converts it into an electrical signal that the brain can understand. When the cochlea is damaged, you will start to lose some frequencies of sound, especially in the high-frequency range.
- The vestibule of the ear: The cochlea is like a labyrinth, and situated right in the middle is the vestibule of the ear. It helps manage balance. Vestibulotoxicity drugs can cause you to become dizzy or feel as if the room is spinning.
Do different drugs have different threat levels?
The checklist of medications that can result in temporary or permanent hearing loss may surprise you. Ototoxic medications are fairly common and the majority of individuals have several of them in their medicine cabinets right now.
Over-the-counter pain medications including the following top the list:
- Naproxen
- Ibuprofen
You can add salicylates to the list, which is aspirin. When you quit taking these medications, your hearing will typically go back to normal.
Next on the list of common ototoxic drugs would be certain antibiotics. Some of these might be familiar:
- Tobramycin
- Streptomycin
- Kanamycin
There are also numerous other compounds that can trigger tinnitus
Hearing loss can be the outcome of some medications and others might trigger tinnitus. Here are some ways tinnitus might present:
- Thumping
- Popping
- Ringing
- A whooshing sound
Specific diuretics will also trigger tinnitus, here are a few of the primary offenders:
- Nicotine
- Tonic water
- Marijuana
- Caffeine
You might not be aware that the cup of coffee or black tea in the morning can trigger ringing in your ears. Here’s the good news, it should clear up after the drug is out of your system. The following drugs are prescribed to treat tinnitus but ironically, they are themselves diuretics:
- Amitriptyline
- Lidocaine
- Prednisone
Once you discontinue the medication, the symptoms should improve, and your doctor will be there to help you with anything you may need to know.
Ototoxicity has particular symptoms
The signs or symptoms of tinnitus vary depending on your hearing health and which medication you get.
Here are a few things to check out for:
- Difficulty walking
- Blurred vision
- Tinnitus
- Vomiting
- Hearing loss on one or both sides
- Poor balance
Be sure you ask your doctor about any side effects the medication they prescribed may have, including ototoxicity. If you experience ototoxicity we suggest immediately contacting your doctor to report your symptoms, they will know the best course of action.
Also, contact us 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
