Staying Healthy

Ototoxic drugs: Medications that may harm hearing

Some medications can cause tinnitus or hearing loss. Learn which ones are on the list and how to protect your ears.

By , Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch
  • Reviewed by James Naples, MD, Contributor; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
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A senior woman holds a hand behind her ear, symbolizing hearing difficulty.

When illness finally starts to fade, the last thing anyone expects is for their hearing to go with it. But for many people, the road to recovery takes an unexpected turn when the medication that helps them heal causes hearing loss or tinnitus (ringing in the ears) as a side effect.

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About the Author

photo of Maureen Salamon

Maureen Salamon, Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch

Maureen Salamon is executive editor of Harvard Women’s Health Watch. She began her career as a newspaper reporter and later covered health and medicine for a wide variety of websites, magazines, and hospitals. Her work has … See Full Bio
View all posts by Maureen Salamon

About the Reviewer

photo of James Naples, MD

James Naples, MD, Contributor; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing

Dr. James Naples is a physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and a clinical instructor at Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA. He earned his medical degree from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, … See Full Bio
View all posts by James Naples, MD
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