Experts say that if you are in the habit of regularly consuming over the counter painkillers, you may be at risk of hearing loss. “Excessive drug abuse, use of painkillers, patients on dialysis, or anti-cancer drugs, persistent noise pollution are high-risk factors of losing the hearing ability if not addressed timely,” said Sumit Mrig, Principal Consultant and Head ENT at Max Smart Super Speciality Hospital.
A recent study found that people who frequently used over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or acetaminophen had an almost 20% increased risk of developing tinnitus. Dr Atul Kumar Mittal, Director, Ear Nose and Throat, Fortis Memorial Research Institute said drug related hearing loss is known as ototoxicity. “It causes sensorineural hearing loss where the hair cells of the hearing nerve get affected. It can cause a sudden hearing loss or gradual progressive hearing loss,” Mittal said.
“However ototoxicity is caused only if painkillers are taken in higher doses for a prolonged period of time,” he added. Few drugs, especially some antibiotics and chemotherapy agents, are also very well known to cause ototoxicity. But it is usually found to be reversible after stopping medication, Mittal said.
But does this mean one should think twice before popping a pill for headache or back pain?
Using the medications judiciously and limiting their use as much as possible, is the key, the experts noted.
