Hearing Loss Can be Brought About by Certain Medications

Medications that damage your ears are surprisingly common. From tinnitus drugs that stop your ears from ringing to drugs that may lead to hearing loss, here's some information on drugs that affect your hearing for better or for worse.

Your Hearing Can be Impacted by Drugs

Prescription drugs are an almost $500 billion market and the United States makes up close to half of that consumption. Do you regularly take over-the-counter medication? Or maybe your doctor has prescribed you with some type of medication. It often happens that people neglect the warnings that come with virtually all medications because they assume they won't be impacted. So it's important to mention that some medications raise the chance of having loss of hearing. But on the plus side, some medicines, such as tinnitus treatments, can actually help your hearing. But how do you know which medications are ok and which are the medications will be detrimental? And what to do if a doctor prescribes drugs that cause loss of hearing? Here's the long and short on medications.

1. Your Ears Can be Harmed by Over-The-Counter PainKillers

The fact that such a common thing could cause hearing loss. Experts examined the type of painkillers, regularity and duration in addition to hearing loss frequency. There are a number of studies of both women and men that emphasize this connection. A collaborative study among Harvard, Brigham Young and Women's Hospital discovered something shocking. Ongoing, daily use of over-the-counter pain relievers impairs hearing. Regular use is described as 2 or more times a week. Individuals who have chronic pain commonly take these sorts of medicines at least this often. Taking too much aspirin at once could cause temporary loss of hearing, which might become permanent over time. Naproxen, ibuprofen and acetaminophen are the biggest offenders. But you may be shocked to find the one with the strongest link. The drug commonly known as acetaminophen was the culprit. For men under the age of 50 hearing loss risk nearly doubled if they were using this drug to treat chronic pain. To be clear, prescription drugs are equally as bad. Hearing loss might be caused by the following:

• Oxycodone
• Fentinol
• Methadone

The exact cause of the hearing loss is not clear. These drugs may lessen the flow of blood to your sensitive inner ear, which as time passes would kill nerves that detect sound. That's why prolonged use of these medications may result in irreversible hearing loss.

2. Some Antibiotics Are Ototoxic

If your not allergic, most antibiotics should be relatively safe if used as directed. But some forms of antibiotic may raise the danger of hearing loss: Aminoglycoside. Human studies haven't yet yielded solid data because they are in the early stages. But there have been a few individuals who seem to have developed loss of hearing after taking them. Results from animal-testing are persuading enough. The medical industry thinks there could be something to be concerned about. Every time mice are fed these antibiotics, they eventually get hearing loss. The following ailments are generally treated with Aminoglycoside antibiotics:

• Cystic fibrosis
• Bacterial meningitis
• Certain other respiratory diseases
• Tuberculosis (TB)

In contrast to the majority of antibiotics, they're usually taken over a prolonged time period to address chronic infections. Until not too long ago, Neomycin was actually a very prevalent antibiotic used to treat children's ear infections and pneumonia. Alternatives are now being prescribed by doctors because of concerns about side effects. Why many antibiotics play a role in hearing loss still requires more research. It would seem that they might cause inflammation in the inner ear that results in long-term damage.

3. How Your Ears Are Impacted by Quinine

You're aware of what quinine is if you've ever had a gin and tonic. Quinine is utilized to manage malaria and has also been used to assist people who suffer from restless leg syndrome while also being the key ingredient in tonic that gives the drink its bitter flavor. While research that investigates the correlation between hearing loss an quinine aren't that widespread. Reversible loss of hearing has been observed in certain malaria patients.

4. Your Hearing May be Harmed by Chemo Medications

You know that there will be side effects when you go through chemo. Doctors are filling the body with toxins in an effort to destroy cancer cells. Cancer cells and healthy cells are often indistinguishable by these toxins. These drugs are being looked at:

• Bleomycin commonly known as Blenoxane
• Carboplatin commonly known as Paraplatin
• Cisplatin commonly known as Platinol

But if you had to choose between chemo induced loss of hearing and cancer, for most people, the choice would be clear. While you're going through chemo, a hearing care professional may be able to help you keep track of your hearing. Or you might want to find out if there are any recommendations we can make that can help in your individual circumstance.

5. Loop Diuretics and Hearing Loss

In an effort to balance fluids in your body you may try taking diuretics. As with any attempt to control something with medication, you can go too far in one direction, dehydrating the body. This can lead to swelling when salt vs water ratios get unbalanced. Although it's normally temporary, this can cause loss of hearing. But loss of hearing may become irreversible if you let this imbalance continue. The drugs listed in this article are ototoxic and if used with loop diuretics could worsen long term loss of hearing. If you're using the most well-known loop diuretic, Lasix, your doctor can advise you concerning which medications can have side effects if combined with it.

What to Do If You're Using Drugs That Might Cause Loss of Hearing

Never discontinue taking a drug that was prescribed by a doctor without consulting your doctor first. Note all of the drugs you take and then consult your doctor. If your doctor has put you on any of these drugs that lead to hearing loss, ask if there might be alternatives that may reduce risk. You can also reduce your dependence on medications with certain lifestyle changes. In some situations, small changes to your diet and exercise program can give you a healthier life. These changes might also be able to lessen pain and water retention while strengthening your immune system. If you are or have been using these ototoxic drugs, you need to make an appointment to have your hearing evaluated as soon as possible. It can be hard to notice loss of hearing at first because it progresses quite slowly. But make no mistake: it can affect your happiness and health in ways you may not recognize, and catching it early gives you more choices for treatment.