Common Medications That Cause Hearing Loss

When you start on a course of medication, it’s normal to want to be informed about any possible side effects. Can it upset your stomach? Will it cause dry mouth? Make you drowsy? There could also be a more severe possible side effect that you might not think of – hearing loss. Many different medications are known to trigger this condition which medical professionals call ototoxicity.

Exactly how many drugs are there that can lead to this issue? Well, there are a number of medications recognized to cause an ototoxic reaction, but just how many is still rather unclear. So which drugs do you personally need to be aware of?

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: The stria vascularis is the portion of the cochlea that produces fluid called endolymph. Too much or too little endolymph has a significant impact on both balance and hearing.
• The vestibule of the ear: This is the part of the ear situated in the middle of the labyrinth that composes the cochlea. Its principal function is to manage balance. When a medication produces an ototoxic response to the vestibule of the inner ear, you can experience balance issues and the feeling that the room is spinning.
• The cochlea: That’s the seashell-shaped component of the inner ear that takes sound and translates it into an electrical signal that the brain can comprehend. When the cochlea is compromised, you will start to lose some frequencies of sound, especially in the high-frequency range.

What is the risk level for each drug?

You might be surprised by the list of medications that can result in an ototoxic reaction. Ototoxic medications are fairly common and most individuals have a few of them in their medicine cabinets right now.

Topping the list of ototoxic medications are over-the-counter pain relievers including:

• Naproxen
• Ibuprofen

Aspirin, also known as salicylates, is on this list too. When you stop taking these drugs, your hearing will typically go back to normal.

Antibiotics are a close second for common 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

Hearing loss can be the outcome of some medications and others might cause tinnitus. Here are a few ways tinnitus may present:

• A whooshing sound
• Popping
• Thumping
• Ringing

Some diuretics can also cause tinnitus, including brand names Lasix, Bumex, and Diamox but the primary offenders in this category are things like:

• Marijuana
• Tonic water
• Nicotine
• Caffeine

You might 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 recede. Ironically, some medications doctors prescribe to manage tinnitus are also on the list of potential causes such as:

• Lidocaine
• Prednisone
• Amitriptyline

After you stop using the medication, the symptoms should improve, and your doctor will be there to help you with whatever you may need to know.

There are very distinct symptoms with an ototoxic response

Depending on what specific medications you’re using and the health of your hearing, your particular symptoms will differ.

Be on guard for:

• Blurred vision
• Vomiting
• Poor balance
• Tinnitus
• Difficulty walking
• Hearing loss on one or both sides

Be certain that you consult 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 experience any tinnitus symptoms that may have been caused by an ototoxic response.

Also, give us a call today to schedule a hearing test to establish a baseline of your hearing health.

References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7985331