It’s normal to want to learn about the side effects of a medication when you begin using it. Can it give you a stomach ache? Will it cause dehydration? Cause insomnia? You may not even know about 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.
Specifically how many drugs are there that can result in this issue? The answer is unclear, but there are plenty that are recognized to trigger ototoxic symptoms. So, which ones do you need to watch out for and why?
What you need to know about ototoxicity
How is it possible for your hearing to be impacted by medication? Your hearing can be damaged by medication in three distinct places:
- The vestibule of the ear: This is the portion of the ear situated in the middle of the labyrinth that composes the cochlea. It helps manage balance. When a medication triggers an ototoxic reaction to the vestibule of the inner ear, you can experience balance problems and the feeling that the room is spinning.
- The cochlea: That’s the seashell-shaped component of the inner ear that receives 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, usually beginning with high frequencies then expanding to include lower ones.
- The stria vascularis: The stria vascularis is the portion of the cochlea that generates fluid called endolymph. Both balance and hearing are impacted by too much or too little endolymph.
What is the risk level for each drug?
You may be surprised by the list of medications that can cause an ototoxic response. Ototoxic medications are pretty common and most people have several of them in their medicine cabinets right now.
Over-the-counter pain medications like the following top the list:
- Ibuprofen
- Naproxen
Aspirin, also known as salicylates, is on this list too. 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 drugs. You may have heard of some of these:
- Tobramycin
- Streptomycin
- Kanamycin
Tinnitus can also be induced by a number of common compounds
Hearing loss can be the result of some drugs and others might trigger tinnitus. If you hear phantom sounds, that could be tinnitus and it typically shows up as:
- Popping
- Thumping
- A whooshing sound
- Ringing
Certain diuretics will also cause tinnitus, here are some of the main offenders:
- Tonic water
- Caffeine
- Nicotine
- Marijuana
You might not realize that the cup of coffee or black tea in the morning can trigger ringing in your ears. 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:
- Prednisone
- Lidocaine
- Amitriptyline
Once you stop using the medication, the symptoms should go away, and your doctor will be there to help you with anything you may need to know.
There are very specific symptoms with an ototoxic response
Depending on what specific medications you’re taking and your hearing health, your particular symptoms will vary.
Here are a few things to check out for:
- Vomiting
- Blurred vision
- Hearing loss on one or both sides
- Difficulty walking
- Tinnitus
- Poor balance
Keep yourself informed by always consulting your doctor about the possible side effects of a medication, don’t hesitate to ask about ototoxicity. If you experience ototoxicity we suggest immediately contacting your doctor to report your symptoms, they will know the best course of action.
Also, schedule a hearing exam with us, a baseline hearing test is a practical step that can help you maintain good hearing health throughout your life.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7985331