It’s normal to want to learn about the side effects of a medication when you begin taking it. Can it upset your stomach? Will it dehydrate you? Make you sleepy? You may not even know about some of the more impactful side effects, like hearing loss. Ototoxicity is the medical term 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 drugs? The answer is not clear, but there are lots that are known to trigger 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 affected by medication? There are three distinct places specific drugs can harm your hearing:
- The stria vascularis: Located in the cochlea, the stria vascularis produces endolymph, the fluid in the inner ear. Both balance and hearing are impacted by too much or too little endolymph.
- The vestibule of the ear: The cochlea is like a labyrinth, and situated right in the middle is the vestibule of the ear. Its main function is to manage balance. Vestibulotoxicity medications can cause you to become dizzy or feel like the room is spinning.
- The cochlea: The cochlea is part of the inner ear, shaped like a seashell, that converts sound waves into electrical signals which your brain translates into the sense of sound. Damage to the cochlea impacts the range of sound you can hear, usually starting with high frequencies then extending to include lower ones.
Do different drugs have different threat levels?
You may be surprised by the list of drugs that can cause an ototoxic response. Several of them you most 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.
Over-the-counter pain medications including the following top the list:
- Ibuprofen
- Naproxen
You can add salicylates to the list, which is aspirin. When you stop using these medications, 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:
- Streptomycin
- Tobramycin
- Kanamycin
There are also several other compounds that can trigger tinnitus
Some medications might cause tinnitus and others could result in loss of hearing. If you hear phantom noises, that might be tinnitus and it usually shows up as:
- A whooshing sound
- Ringing
- Thumping
- Popping
Specific diuretics will also cause tinnitus, here are some of the main offenders:
- Tonic water
- Marijuana
- Caffeine
- Nicotine
Every single time you drink your coffee or black tea in the morning, you are exposing your body to something that might make your ears ring. 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:
- Amitriptyline
- Lidocaine
- Prednisone
Typically, the tinnitus will end 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 reaction
The signs or symptoms of tinnitus vary depending on your ear health and which medication you get.
Be on guard for:
- Hearing loss on one or both sides
- Difficulty walking
- Blurred vision
- Tinnitus
- Poor balance
- Vomiting
Be certain that you ask your doctor about any possible side effects the medication they prescribed may have, including ototoxicity. Get in touch with your doctor right away if you detect any tinnitus symptoms that might have been caused by an ototoxic reaction.
Also, schedule a hearing examination with us, a baseline hearing test is a practical measure that can help you preserve good hearing health throughout your life.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7985331