It’s normal to want to learn about the side effects of a medication when you start taking it. Can it give you a stomach ache? Will it cause dry mouth? Cause insomnia? There could also be a more severe potential side effect that you might not be aware of – hearing loss. Many different medications are known to cause this condition which medical professionals label as ototoxicity.
Specifically how many medications are there that can cause this issue? Well, there are numerous medications recognized to trigger an ototoxic reaction, but exactly how many is still somewhat unclear. So, which ones should you pay attention to and why?
What you need to know about ototoxicity
How is it possible for your hearing to be affected by medication? There are three different places certain drugs can damage your hearing:
- The cochlea: That’s the seashell-shaped part of the inner ear that takes 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, usually starting with high frequencies then expanding to include lower ones.
- The vestibule of the ear: This is the part of the ear situated in the middle of the labyrinth that composes the cochlea. It helps regulate balance. When a medication causes an ototoxic reaction to the vestibule of the inner ear, you can experience balance problems and the feeling that the room is spinning.
- The stria vascularis: Found 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.
Do different drugs have different risk levels?
You might be surprised by the list of drugs that can cause an ototoxic response. Several of them you probably have in your medicine cabinet even now, and chances are you take them before you go to bed or when you have a headache.
Topping the list of ototoxic medications are over-the-counter pain relievers including:
- Ibuprofen
- Naproxen
You can add salicylates to the list, which is aspirin. The hearing issues due to these drugs are normally reversible when you quit using them.
Antibiotics come in as a close second for common ototoxic medications. Some of these may be familiar:
- Kanamycin
- Tobramycin
- Streptomycin
Tinnitus can also be triggered by a number of common compounds
Hearing loss can be the result of some medications and others might cause tinnitus. If you hear phantom sounds, that may be tinnitus and it normally shows up as:
- A whooshing sound
- Ringing
- Popping
- Thumping
Certain diuretics will also trigger tinnitus, here are some of the primary offenders:
- Caffeine
- Nicotine
- Tonic water
- Marijuana
You might not realize 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 once the drug is out of your system. Ironically, some medications doctors prescribe to manage tinnitus are also on the list of possible causes such as:
- Prednisone
- Lidocaine
- Amitriptyline
Once you stop using the medication, the symptoms should go away, and your doctor will be there to help you with whatever you may need to know.
There are very specific symptoms with an ototoxic reaction
The signs or symptoms of tinnitus differ based on your hearing health and which medication you get.
Here are some things to check out for:
- Blurred vision
- Vomiting
- Poor balance
- Hearing loss on one or both sides
- Difficulty walking
- Tinnitus
Keep yourself informed by always asking your physician about the possible 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 response.
Also, give us a call today to set up a hearing exam to establish a baseline of your hearing health.
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References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7985331