The five common medicines that could be harming your hearing (opens original article in a new tab)

Certain common medications can cause hearing damage through ototoxic effects, with varying risks depending on the drug, dosage, and individual susceptibility.

• Ototoxic drugs can cause hearing loss and balance issues by damaging inner ear structures
• Common ototoxic medications include antibiotics, heart drugs, chemotherapy agents, painkillers, and antimalarials
• Some hearing effects may be temporary while others are permanent depending on drug, dose, and individual factors
• Around 200 medicines are known to have ototoxic effects with specific risks for certain populations