Common painkillers increase risk of hearing loss

Stealing Sound

There it is, plain as day, on the Drugs.com website. It’s a warning about an acetaminophen side effect, tucked in the middle of a list of other possible adverse effects…

Hearing loss.

If you’ve ever seen this warning, you probably didn’t think much of it. After all, how many people do you know who have taken a couple of Tylenols and then suddenly lost their hearing?

Thing is, the warning doesn’t mention a time frame. If your hearing deteriorates gradually over years, you may not think to connect it to acetaminophen use.

But you should.

How’s that again?

A steady intake of acetaminophen or non-steroidal anti- inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) puts your liver at risk. And regular use of these painkillers to address chronic headaches can actually contribute to the cycle of recurring headaches.

Now, new research shows that hearing may also suffer.

For 18 years, researchers conducting the Health Professionals’ Follow-Up Study followed medical records of nearly 27,000 men who were at least 40 years old when the study began.

Recently, a Boston team examined data from the study to see if there might be a link between painkiller use and ototoxicity–a toxic reaction in the auditory nerve.

Results showed that men younger than 50 who took a painkiller at least twice each week dramatically increased their risk of hearing loss. Compared to men who used painkillers less frequently or not at all, NSAIDs use accounted for increased hearing loss of more than 60 percent. Those who took acetaminophen at least twice each week DOUBLED their risk of hearing loss.

Dr. Sharon Curhan, lead researcher of the study, told Reuters Health that for the average person, hearing loss of about one percent each year is typical. That may sound like a drop in the bucket, but those drops add up. The math is easy: in just the decade between 40 and 50, most of us loose 10 percent of our hearing.

Dr. Curhan: “And the risk in those taking an analgesic would be proportionately higher.”

Unlike most other causes of hearing loss, this one can be modified. You can read about non-drug alternatives to acetaminophen and NSAIDs in the e-Alert “Pyc a Little, Talk a Little” (1/22/04).

To Your Good Health,

Jenny Thompson

Sources:
“Analgesic Use and the Risk of Hearing Loss in Men” The American Journal of Medicine, Vol. 123, No. 3, March 2010, amjmed.com
“Common Painkillers Might Make You Hard of Hearing” Megan Brooks, Reuters Health, 3/5/10, reutershealth.com