There is a wide variety of drugs that can cause tinnitus (ringing in ears) or if existing conditions, increasing in intensity or discomfort they cause. In this class of drugs that cause otologic diseases or disorders, are known as ototoxic drugs.

Cochlear toxicity is manifested by tinnitus, hearing loss, and occasional pain in the ear, it is easier to diagnose than vestibular toxicity, which can cause vertigo, dizziness, ataxia and nystagmus.

The first cases of drug-ototxicidad occurred around 1944 with the introduction of streptomycin for treating tuberculosis. Later ototoxicity has also been shown with other aminoglycoside antibiotics.

Today are among the also ototoxic antibiotic antineoplastic platinum compounds, salicylates, quinine and potent diuretics.

It is known that in the case of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), salicylates and quinine, produced otologic disorders cease upon discontinuation of treatment and are usually completely reversible.

In the case of aminoglycoside antibiotics, only 50% of patients produced deafness is reversed.

Antineoplastic antibiotic ototoxicity produced a progressive with a high incidence. Tinnitus produced by this ototoxicity may be reversible if doses of this antibiotic have been low.

The potent diuretic ototoxicity has been presented only at high doses, and in most documented cases, when they have interaction with other ototoxic.

Quinine and chloroquine used for malaria treatment usually have permanent ototoxicity, especially if given in high doses and prolonged treatment. Patients treated with this drug often have tinnitus and deafness.

In all cases, the medical professional will know to confront the adverse effects of medication prescribed to the risks of not treating certain diseases with particular emphasis on the characteristics of each patient and their propensity to symptoms described.

There are many medical causes or conditions that are declared with noise, ringing or throbbing in the ears and do not always have to do with otological disorders.

The main action to be taken by those who feel a constant noise in the ear (or tinnitus) is go to a specialist and provide as much information as possible about the trouble you are experiencing. The ENT doctor will also establish a good empatización with the patient in order to determine the degree of impact on your life, because the latter is usually the most important factor in deciding the beginning of treatment.

Once the tinnitus severity index and the type of tinnitus experienced, determined by its characteristics (whether pulsatile or nonpulsatile, if continuous or intermittent, etc..), The doctor will order a series of studies to determine the cause.

Initially, the specialist will perform a physical examination focused primarily ENT laryngeal area, neck and heart and circulatory system.

In most cases the constant noise in the ear is associated with a hearing loss or hearing loss. Depending on the primary test results for cases of unilateral hearing loss (in one ear) also ordered the otolaryngologist “cerebellopontine angle Magnetic Resonance” and if the hearing loss is bilateral, check your “Otoacoustic Emissions” and “Potential Auditory Evoked Brain Stem. ”

While most cases of tinnitus arises from otologic causes, there are other possible conditions that cause such as: vascular factors, blood factors, drugs, topical agents otological, neurological factors and metabolic factors.

For each of these triggers permanent noise in the ear, the specialist may offer a more or less effective depending on the condition and the patient, who at all times who will determine the effectiveness of such treatment on his condition.