When you begin on a course of medication, it’s natural to want to be informed about any potential side effects. Can it upset your stomach? Will it cause dry mouth? Cause insomnia? You might not even be aware of some of the more impactful side effects, like hearing loss. Lots of different drugs are known to cause this condition which medical professionals call ototoxicity.
So can this problem be triggered by a lot of medications? The answer is unclear, but there are lots that are known to trigger ototoxic symptoms. So which drugs do you personally need to know about?
Ototoxicity – what you should know
How can a pill wreak havoc on your ears after you take it? There are three different places certain drugs can harm your hearing:
- The stria vascularis: The stria vascularis is the portion of the cochlea that produces fluid known as endolymph. Both hearing and balance are impacted 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 comprehend. Damage to the cochlea affects the range of sound you can hear, typically beginning with high frequencies then expanding 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. Its principal function is to manage balance. When a medication causes an ototoxic reaction 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 cause an ototoxic response. Several of them you likely 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 such as:
- Naproxen
- Ibuprofen
You can add salicylates to the list, which is aspirin. When you quit using these drugs, your hearing will usually go back to normal.
Next on the list of common ototoxic medications would be certain antibiotics. You might have heard of some of these:
- Tobramycin
- Kanamycin
- Streptomycin
There are also a number of other compounds that can cause tinnitus
Hearing loss can be the result of some drugs and others may cause tinnitus. If you hear phantom noises, that may be tinnitus and it typically shows up as:
- Ringing
- A whooshing sound
- Thumping
- Popping
Certain diuretics will also cause tinnitus, here are a few of the primary offenders:
- Caffeine
- Marijuana
- Nicotine
- Tonic water
You may not realize that the cup of coffee or black tea in the morning can cause 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:
- Amitriptyline
- Lidocaine
- Prednisone
Normally, the tinnitus will end when you quit taking the medication but always seek advice from your doctor, they will know what’s best for you.
Ototoxicity has specific symptoms
Depending on what specific medications you’re taking and your hearing health, your particular symptoms will differ.
Here are a few things to watch out for:
- Hearing loss on one or both sides
- Blurred vision
- Vomiting
- Difficulty walking
- Poor balance
- Tinnitus
Keep yourself informed by always asking your doctor about the potential side effects of a medication, don’t hesitate to ask about 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 practical 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