Scientists in the United States have raised the alarm over the danger some pain killers pose, warning that Paracetamol or Ibuprofen could cause long-term deafness. These were the findings of a study published in the ‘American Journal of Epidemiology.’
The findings were unveiled after researchers looked into the effects of the drugs which people use to treat headaches, arthritis, toothaches and sports injuries such as sprains.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that there are 360 million people in the world with disabling hearing loss, which is 5.3 per cent of the world’s population. While 328 million of these are adults (183 million males, 145 million females, 32 million (nine per cent) of these are children. Meanwhile, the prevalence of disabling hearing loss in children is greatest in South Asia, Asia Pacific and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Approximately one-third of persons over 65 years are affected by disabling hearing loss and the prevalence of disabling hearing loss in adults over 65 years is highest in South Asia, Asia Pacific and sub- Saharan Africa.
While long-term use of Ibuprofen or Paracetamol was linked with a higher risk of hearing loss, no significant association was found with usual-dose aspirin use.
The ‘Express,’ an online website reported that the United States experts found there was no link with taking recommended doses of aspirin – a drug which people usually take over a long period of time to prevent the risk of heart attack or stroke.
Compared to women who have taken them for less than a year, women who take it regularly to treat chronic pain increased the risk of hearing loss by more than a sixth, the study revealed.” If there is a causal link between the two, experts said the number of patients who are suffering hearing loss linked to painkillers could be significantly reduced.
The findings add to a growing body of evidence linking the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) or paracetamol with loss of hearing, while still remaining unknown.
While Paracetamol, also known as acetaminophen or APAP, is a medication used to treat pain and fever, Ibuprofen is also a painkiller available over-the-counter without a prescription. The latter is one of a group of painkillers called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
A previous study by the same scientists found young women who took paracetamol or ibuprofen for at least two days a week had a higher risk of hearing loss. As two thirds of women over 60 have some hearing loss in the US, the researchers looked at the effect of painkillers in older women.
By: Appolonia Adeyemi
The Newtelegraph News
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