Some doctors are making a greater effort to monitor for hearing loss in people exposed to high-risk ototoxic agents.
Drugs like Platinol may cause symptomatic ototoxicity in 50% of users.
However there are more than 600 drugs known to have ototoxic effects.
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Loop diuretics and salicylates affect roughly 1% of users, most often the elderly.
How Is Ototoxicity Diagnosed?
Ototoxicity is often missed in the early stages because it can be confused for other conditions.
The same is likely inbabies and toddlersin whom progressive hearing loss may go unnoticed until it becomes severe.
Audiologic Testing
Audiologic (hearing) tests are the only way to make an ototoxicity diagnosis.
These are conducted by anaudiologist, a healthcare professional trained in the evaluation of hearing and related disorders.
Audiologic tests commonly used include:
These may be done if symptoms of ototoxicity are present.
Such routine testing may help catch ototoxic effects before you notice them.
How Is Ototoxicity Treated?
Stopping the offending drug or exposure can lead to symptom improvement in some cases, but not all.
Prevention, therefore, is the only way to reduce the risk of hearing loss.
Other otoprotective agents, such as amifostine and N-acetylcysteine, have been investigated in people undergoing Platinol chemotherapy.
Younger children may require the help of aspeech-language pathologist.
To improve balance, physical therapy can help retrain the brain to compensate for the impaired equilibrium.
Is Ototoxic Hearing Loss Permanent?
The sooner symptoms are detected, the better.
Bisht M, Bist SS.Ototoxicity: the hidden menace.Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg.
2016;11(7):e0158806.
