Think Twice Before Popping A Pill For Headache!
Regular consumption of over-the-counter painkillers like ibuprofen, acetaminophen and aspirin, can affect the nerves of the ear and increase risk of hearing loss, say doctors.
Drug-related hearing loss is known as ototoxicity, and it occurs when the hair cells of the hearing nerve get affected, according to Dr Atul Kumar Mittal, Director, Ear Nose and Throat, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram.
It can cause a sudden hearing loss or gradual progressive hearing loss, he told IANS.
Ototoxicity, however, is caused only if painkillers are taken in higher doses for a prolonged period of time, Dr Mittal stated.
Some antibiotics and chemotherapy agents are also known to cause ototoxicity, but it is mostly reversible after stopping medication, the expert added.
The news agency report also cited a study which found that people who frequently used over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or acetaminophen had an almost 20 per cent increased risk of developing tinnitus. The study was published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
Another study by researchers at Harvard University suggested that pain relievers, like ibuprofen and acetaminophen, may damage the cochlea, the snail-shaped hearing mechanism in your inner ear.
In their paper published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, Dr. Sharon Curhan, instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School, said that ibuprofen can reduce blood flow to the cochlea and trigger cellular damage and cell death, while acetaminophen may deplete the antioxidant glutathione that protects the cochlea from damage.
In 2017, a study that appeared in the academic journal, PLOS ONE, warned that commonly prescribed painkillers such as like gabapentinoids such as gabapentin, pregabilin and opiates, can double the risk of obesity and sleep deprivation. The researchers at Newcastle University highlighted the need to reduce the use of these medications to avoid these serious side effects.
Gaurav Upreti, 45, a bank executive, suffered permanent hearing loss from prolonged use of painkillers. He began taking painkillers in 2016 after a brief ailment and started facing hearing loss the following year. He was managing it with several hearing aids until 2020 when he suffered permanent hearing loss. Doctors then recommended him to go for bilateral cochlear implantation.
Cochlear implant surgery is usually recommended for patients who are congenitally deaf and those suffered hearing loss due to various external factors, including excess drug use and infections.
Dr. Sumit Mrig, Principal Consultant and Head ENT, Max Smart Super Speciality Hospital, who conducted the surgery, said that Upreti is a classic example drug-induced hearing loss.
Excess drug abuse, use of painkillers, patients on dialysis, or anti-cancer drugs, persistent noise pollution are high-risk factors for hearing loss, and one could end up losing the hearing ability permanently, if not addressed on time, the doctor noted.
Cochlear implants are the only solution when no hearing aids help. Post the surgery and rehabilitation, Upreti's condition has significantly improved, Dr. Mrig stated.
Dr. Mrig has asked people to be cautious while using over-the-counter pain relievers.
Try to limit the use of painkillers and be mindful if you must take, the experts noted.
