Do you take a daily prescription medication to manage blood pressure, treat depression, or keep another chronic condition in check?
If so, you’re certainly not alone. Approximately two-thirds of the American population take prescription medications daily. While perhaps you’re the remaining third who does not take daily medication, chances are, you have a family member who does.
Listen to any medication commercial, and you’ll hear a laundry list of disclosed possible side effects: Most are mild, however a small percentage of effects are severe. A lesser-known side effect, but one that can be caused by over 200 medications, is ototoxicity, which is the term for how a drug affects the sensitive organs that are our ears. Ototoxicity can affect a person’s hearing or balance, and it can cause other symptoms, such as the ringing of the ears (tinnitus).
What medications are linked to hearing changes?
It’s a good idea to be aware of the classes of medications that are known to have possible ototoxic side effects in the event you experience a change to your hearing or balance.
Loop Diuretics– These medications are commonly used to treat cardiac conditions.
Antibiotics– The class of aminoglycoside drugs is often used to treat kidney disease.
NSAIDs and Aspirin– These non-steroidal drugs, taken in large doses, can affect the ears.
Anti-Malarials– Hyroxychloroquine and similar medications can cause the side effect of ringing when taken in high doses or over a long period of time.
Oncologics– Many cancer treatments have been shown to have potential ototoxic effects.
The following two classes of medications are widely used in mental health treatment:
Antidepressants– People taking SSRIs could experience tinnitus from medication usage.
Benzodiazepines– Quick-acting medications in this class, such as Xanax and Ativan, can cause tinnitus.
What should I do if I think my medication is affecting my hearing?
As soon as you become aware of any side effects affecting your hearing or balance, speak with your prescribing doctor. Your physician may adjust your dosage or treat your chronic medical condition with a different medication that you have better tolerate.
The severity of the hearing loss and tinnitus as a side effect of medication can vary from mild to severe and temporary to permanent. The drug, dosage and the amount of time you’ve taken the medication (secondary to accumulation factors in your body) are all considerations.
How can your audiologist help?
At Hearing Aids of Sarasota and Doc Side Audiology, we believe it’s always important to have a baseline of your hearing. With regular checks on your hearing after establishing a baseline, we can help you identify possible medication induced hearing loss or any other changes to your hearing and guide you towards caring for your ears.
The beginning of the new year is a great time to assess your hearing health. Just like you schedule eye exams regularly to monitor their health, your ears deserve the same attention. We’d love the opportunity to see you at one of our two offices, in Sarasota or on Longboat Key. Contact us today!
