Table of contents:
- Too often taking medication can cause hearing loss
- What types of drugs can cause hearing loss?
- Painkillers
- Antibiotic drugs
- Diuretic drugs
- Chemotherapy drugs
- Avoid hearing loss due to drug use
It is estimated that as many as 360 million people in the world have hearing loss. This figure also includes those who are still young. The most common cause of early hearing loss is listening to music at a loud volume using a headset. However, did you know that hearing loss can also be caused by using drugs carelessly? Yes, some types of drugs can cause hearing problems to deafness. So, what types of drugs can cause this?
Too often taking medication can cause hearing loss
There are certain drugs that can damage your ears and ultimately interfere with your ability to hear. Usually, the initial symptoms experienced when a person experiences hearing loss due to drugs are the appearance of a ringing sound, vertigo occurs, and over time the ability to hear will be lost or deaf.
These drugs have a direct effect on the organs in the ear which function to receive and process sound which will then be sent to the brain for translation. In the medical field, drugs that cause hearing loss are called ototoxicity drugs. These side effects will actually appear depending on several factors such as:
- Dosage from drug use
- Duration of use of the drug
- Adherence to drug use
In some cases, hearing loss will go away after you stop taking these drugs. However, hearing problems can also be permanent and cannot be cured.
What types of drugs can cause hearing loss?
According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, there are at least 200 types of over-the-counter and prescription drugs that can cause hearing loss. So, what are the types of drugs?
Painkillers
Maybe you often take this type of medicine when you have pain or aches in your body. Yes, experts have stated that painkillers such as aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, and diclofenac can affect your hearing function.
In fact, all drugs are safe to take when you are sick. However, careless use and not according to the rules will have a negative impact on your hearing. Reporting from WebMD, the use of aspirin as much as 8-12 tablets per day will have a high risk of causing hearing loss.
Antibiotic drugs
When you have a bacterial infection, your doctor will usually prescribe antibiotics to treat your health problems. However, be careful not to take antibiotics when you are not experiencing a bacterial infection or take this medication not according to the rules. For example, drugs that should be taken until they run out, are not done or you should have stopped taking antibiotics, but you still take these drugs without the doctor's knowledge.
Things like that will increase the risk of hearing loss. Types of antibiotics that have been shown to have this effect are aminoglycoside, vancomycin, erythromycin, and streptomycin. Most of the cases, hearing problems caused by antibiotics are people with kidney disease or people who have a history of ear health problems.
Diuretic drugs
This diuretic drug is usually given to people who have problems with kidney function, hypertension, and heart disease. Types of diuretic drugs that have an impact on hearing are furosemide (Lasix), bumetanide, and ethacrynic acid.
Long-term use of large doses of diuretic drugs can damage the inner ear, which in turn causes hearing loss to the point of being unable to hear.
Chemotherapy drugs
Chemotherapy drugs are designed to kill cancer cells that are developing, and this includes normal cells. Therefore, patients with cancer will usually experience long-term side effects, namely hearing loss.
Usually, the chemotherapy drugs that directly cause this to happen are cisplatin, cyclophosphamide, bleomycin, and carboplatin. Hearing loss due to chemotherapy drugs, mostly will occur permanently or cannot return to normal. However, of course each patient will be different. Therefore, you should consult your doctor if you experience hearing problems after chemotherapy.
Avoid hearing loss due to drug use
In fact, there is no way that can be done to prevent ototoxicity from occurring, especially if you experience this as a result of cancer treatment. However, there are a number of things you can do to reduce your risk of hearing problems:
- Know what drugs you are taking. Make sure if you know what kind of medicine the doctor gives you, find out its side effects, uses, and the effects of an overdose. Ask clearly the doctor who treats you.
- Continue to comply with drug use recommendations. Follow all doctor's instructions when you use these medicines. Although you may sometimes feel that your symptoms are getting worse, never add a dose yourself without your doctor's approval.
- Consult your doctor if there are other alternative drugs. Discuss with your doctor what symptoms you are experiencing and your past medical history. This will affect the choice of medication for you. Usually, your doctor will look for other drug alternatives if you have a certain history and are at risk of hearing loss.
