Can Viagra Cause Hearing Loss?

By: Rick Moore
Submitted: 2008-06-27 14:02:18
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In a handful of reported cases reported to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Viagra and other erectile dysfunction drugs are believed to have caused sudden loss of hearing in some men using the drug. The FDA’s response to these reports was to announce labeling changes to help make men (as well as medical professionals, including pharmacists) aware of the potential health risk.

This is not to say that using Viagra will cause a hearing-related event, or that a man needing the benefits of Viagra should be overly-concerned about using it. The extremely rare possibility of sudden hearing loss, as well as other Viagra side effects, has already been part of Viagra labeling for years. So far, it seems to be impossible to predict when this occurrence may happen. In the miniscule 29 cases reported to the FDA, there were no warning signs to predict sudden loss of hearing. In some cases, this sudden auditory event was accompanied by dizziness and ringing in the ears.

In most of the reported cases, the loss of auditory function involved a single ear, and was sometimes only a partial loss of normal hearing capabilities. In some cases, however, the loss was complete. In about a third of the reported cases, the hearing loss was only temporary. In the other cases, hearing loss was either still continuing at the time of the report, or the final outcome of the event wasn't completely described in the medical report.

One reason for the uncertainty surrounding this occurrence is that normal hearing loss can have explainable causes, including old age, or the occurrence of ringing of the ears (tinnitus) because of inner ear injury, head injury, exposure to loud noise or other factors. But a sudden loss of hearing as described in these patients would be highly unusual and would probably not occur naturally, and would normally have a medically quantifiable cause, as do most other possible Viagra side effects.

If you are curious about if there is a pharmaceutical alternative to Viagra or other ED drugs that may cause this hearing problem, the answer, for now, is no. As rare as the event has been, it has nonetheless been reported with use of all ED drugs, including Viagra, Cialis and Levitra. If you have a concern about this issue when you buy Viagra online, or have experienced an occurrence of this problem, it is recommended that you consult your health care provider to discuss other erectile dysfunction alternatives, such as a penile implant or significant lifestyle changes.

The FDA advises that men who are using Viagra and experience sudden auditory problems should immediately quit using the drug, and should receive prompt medical attention. This way, not only will the event be addressed to determine what may have caused it, but it can be reported to the FDA as an erectile dysfunction drug-induced hearing loss occurrence, if that’s what a physician determines it to be.

Article source: Expert Articles