Hearing Loss and Analgesic Use Linked Together

According to a new scientific investigation, it would appear that people below the age of 60 may be more likely to develop hearing-related problems, including permanent hearing loss, if they use a lot of analgesic medication. This includes, but is not limited to aspirin, acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), which apparently promote a deterioration of the hearing mechanisms. Details of the new study appear in the March issue of the respected American Journal of Medicine, PhysOrg reports.

As far as common sensory disorders go, statistics point that hearing loss is the most common, at least in the United States. An estimated 36 million seniors have it, but recent studies have also shown that approximately 33 percent of all those aged 40 to 49 suffer from some form of hearing damage as well. The condition is extremely dangerous, and can have significant implications on people's quality of life. Even mild symptoms cause the patients to progressively lose his or her ability to discern the words of a speaker in noise conditions, or to pay attention to multiple speakers.

As a direct consequence, these people may become a lot more isolated, socially-isolated, and even depressed. Given the severity of these conditions, researchers set out to identify risk factors that may be promoting hearing loss among the general population. They knew that loud sounds and old age were the primary factors, but wanted to see if anything else contributed to the emergence of this condition. They looked at three of the most commonly-used drugs in the US, aspirin, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen.

“Regular use of analgesics, specifically aspirin, NSAID, and acetaminophen, might increase the risk of adult hearing loss, particularly in younger individuals. Given the high prevalence of regular analgesic use and health and social implications of hearing impairment, this represents an important public health issue,” says Brigham and Women's Hospital Boston Department of Medicine Channing Laboratory expert Sharon G. Curhan, MD, ScM. Researchers from the Harvard University, the Vanderbilt University, and the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary were also involved in the study.

Test participants were derived from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. The investigators looked at about 26,000 men for roughly 18 years, with regular check-ups every two years. In questionnaires, the participants were asked to supply a number of data about themselves, including physiological, medical and demographic information. This helped researchers control for other factors that may have influenced the correlation between the drugs and hearing loss.