What is Ototoxicity?
Ototoxicity refers to medication-caused hearing loss that typically involves damage to the hair cells that convert sounds into nervous impulses in the inner ear and/or to the auditory nerve. It is often but not always accompanied by tinnitus (ringing in the ear).
What Causes Ototoxicity?
- Ototoxic drugs include certain antibiotics, certain medicines against cancer, certain pain killers and certain diuretics (medicines that increase production of urine).
- Frequently used ototoxic drugs are gentamicin (against severe bacterial infections), streptomycin (against TB) and chloroquine and quinine (against malaria).
What Cures Ototoxicity?
As there is no therapy available to reverse hair cell damage, preventive measures are important to preserve hearing.
- Awareness and knowledge about ototoxic drugs, amongst the general public and health professionals.
- Drugs that can damage hearing should only be given on prescription by a doctor, who understands the potential risks.
- Throughout therapy with ototoxic medicines, appropriate monitoring of the medicine and the hearing level is necessary, preceded by baseline hearing evaluations and followed by periodic hearing testing .
