Medication Effects on Hearing

[Guest guest]

The article asks, why take a chance with a drug that could

potentially harm your hearing... The answer offered- little

choice.

 

Well this is what this group is about-> . I

think it is a crime that such an injury should take place especially

since there are so many alternatives that offer real solutions to

health challenges and harm no-one in the process...

 

In fact, if an herb or vitamin or any other type of alternative

remedy DID result in hearing loss- you know we would all be burned

at the stake!! So, why do articles like this rarely, if ever, even

raise an eyebrow?

 

Be Well, Misty

http://www..com

 

 

 

http://www.asha.org/hearing/disorders/med_effects.cfm

 

Medication Effects on Hearing

 

Commonly used medications--both over-the-counter and prescribed--can

damage hearing or aggravate an already existing problem.

 

Any drug with the potential to cause toxic reactions to structures

of the inner ear are considered ototoxic. " Oto- " means ear. " Toxic "

mean poisonous. Therefore, ototoxic " means poisonous to the ear.

 

Hearing problems caused by ototoxic medications are often reversible

if the drug is discontinued. Sometimes, however, hearing loss is

permanent. When a decision is made to treat an illness or medical

condition with a drug known to be ototoxic, the health care team

should consider the effects that hearing and balance problems may

have on the person's quality of life after the drug therapy.

 

If a drug is known to cause permanent hearing loss or even deafness,

why is it used ?

 

Sometimes there is little choice. A particular drug may be the only

known medication available to cure a life-threatening disease or to

stop a life-threatening infection.

 

What drugs are ototoxic?

 

Approximately 200 drugs have been labeled as ototoxic. Different

ototoxic drugs can cause either permanent or temporary structural

damage in the inner ear. The damage can be of varying degree and

reversibility.

 

Those drugs known to cause permanent damage are the aminoglycoside

antibiotics and the cancer chemotherapeutic agents cisplatin and

carbo-platin.

 

Those known to cause temporary damage are salicylate analgesics,

quinine, and loop diuretics. In some instances, exposure to damaging

noise while taking certain drugs will increase their ototoxicity.

 

There are other categories of drugs known to be ototoxic including

anesthetics, cardiac medications, glucocorticosteroids (cortisone,

steroids), mood altering drugs, and some vapors and solvents.

 

It is important to discuss the potential for ototoxicity of any drug

you are taking with your physician and/or pharmacist.

 

Can the use of a known ototoxic drug be monitored to determine if

hearing loss is occurring?

 

Yes, audiologists can perform hearing tests before, during, and

after the administration of medications to detect the progression of

ototoxic hearing loss. This evaluation usually involves testing

hearing in very high frequency ranges--9,000 to 20,000 Hz--because

ototoxic drugs affect these frequencies first. (Typical hearing

tests only test frequencies as high as 6,000 or 8,000 Hz.)

 

Hearing tests are done before the administration of the drug to

obtain baseline information. Monitoring is done at scheduled

intervals to detect threshold changes as early as possible. Data

gathered through monitoring helps the physician to make a decision

to stop or change the drug therapy before hearing in the frequencies

critical for speech is damaged. In cases where hearing loss is

inevitable and " planned for, " the audiologist can plan and institute

rehabilitation measures.

 

Monitoring of hearing usually continues as part of rehabilitation to

determine if the hearing loss is stable. Rehabilitation may include

fitting hearing aids, assistive listening devices, and communication

management.