Effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on hearing

Objectives: Non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) use with high dose and long time for chronic inflammation. It was well known that these drugs have ototoxic effects. The more study about ototoxic effects of acetyl salicylic acid (ASA) and quinine has been at the literature. In this study, the effects to hearing of NSAID except ASA and quinine were evaluated. Methods: Twenty-three patients with started chronic medication for the pathology of muscle-skeleton system were included the study. Pure tone audiometry and otoacoustic emissions were made in the beginning and a month after using dugs. Results: Audiometric findings were compared by considering frequency scale and the hearing loss over 10 dB was accepted significant. At the low frequencies (250, 500, 1000 Hz) were not observed any statistically significant change (p>0.05). There was a significant hearing loss at 12 ear (26%) in 8 kHz, 9 ear (19.5%) in 4 kHz, 6 ear (13%) in 2 kHz (p<0.05). Conclusion: After using the medication emissions of only two ears were lost. NSAID like diclofenac potasium, etadolac, meloxicam ve diflunisal have ototoxic effects and especially high frequencies are affected. In our opinion if clinicians prefer NSAID especially for long term and high dose, they must be careful for ototoxicity.