Investigating the side effects of a medication when you first start using it is a normal thing to do. Can you expect to feel Nauseous or to get a dry mouth? There is a more severe potential side effect that you may not recognize which is hearing loss. Ototoxicity is the term medical professionals give to this condition. Ear poisoning is what ototoxicity breaks down to.
Exactly how many drugs that can lead to this problem is unclear, but there are at least 130 that are on record as being ototoxic. What are some of the common ones you should look out for and why?
A Little About Ototoxicity
How does a pill reap havoc on your ears after you swallow it? There are three places these drugs can damage your hearing:
- The vestibule of the ear – This is the area that sits in the middle of the labyrinth that comprises the cochlea. It helps regulate balance. Vestibulotoxicity drugs can cause you to get dizzy or feel like the room is spinning.
- The cochlea – That’s the seashell-shaped element of the inner ear that takes sound and converts it into an electrical signal the brain can understand. Damage to the cochlea impacts the range of sound you can hear, typically beginning with high frequencies then expanding to include lower ones.
- The stria vascularis – Located in the cochlea, the stria vascularis makes endolymph, the fluid in the inner ear. Too much or too little endolymph has a significant impact on both hearing and balance.
Along with the drugs that can cause loss of hearing, there are some that only cause tinnitus. Tinnitus is a phantom sound people hear that commonly presents as:
- A windy sound
- Popping
- Thumping
- Ringing
Usually if you quit using the medication the tinnitus will stop. Unfortunately, permanent hearing loss can be caused by some of these drugs.
What Drugs Put You at Risk?
Permanent hearing loss can be caused by a list of drugs that will probably surprise you. Many of them you probably have in your medicine cabinet right now, and there’s a chance you take them before you go to bed or when you are in pain.
At the top of the list for ototoxic drugs are over-the-counter pain relievers such as:
- Naproxen
- Ibuprofen
You can include on the list salicylates that you might better recognize as aspirin. While all these can result in some hearing problems, they are reversible when you discontinue taking the meds.
Antibiotics are a close second for common ototoxic medications. Not all antibiotics are ototoxic, though. a few that aren’t which you might have heard of include:
- Vancomycin
- Gentamycin
- Erythromycin
As with the pain relievers, the problem goes away when you stop using the antibiotic. Other drugs on the ordinary list include:
- Chloroquine
- Quinidine
- Quinine
Edecrin Every time you drink your morning coffee, you are subjecting yourself to something that could make your ears ring. After the drug is out of your system it will pass and that’s the good news. Ironically, some drugs doctors prescribe to deal with tinnitus are also on the list of possible causes such as: The prescribed amount should be less than the amount triggers ringing, though. The signs or symptoms of tinnitus can vary based on your ear health and what medication you get. Mildly irritating to absolutely incapacitating is what you can usually be expecting. Look for: If you have any of these symptoms after using a medication even if it’s an over-the-counter herbal supplement, you should contact your physician. Should you still take your medication even you have the symptoms of ototoxicity. You should always take what your doctor tells you to. Don’t forget that these symptoms are temporary. You should feel comfortable asking your doctor if a prescription is ototoxic though, and make sure you talk about the potential side effects of any drug you take, so you stay aware. Also, schedule a hearing test with a hearing care specialist.
Ototoxicity Has Specific Symptoms
