What To Know About Ototoxicity

Ototoxicity refers to the adverse reaction to medication that damages the inner ear or auditory nerve. Ototoxic drugs, those capable of causing hearing loss and tinnitus, encompass over 200 medications used to combat serious infections, cancer and heart disease. Although discontinuing the medication might reverse some cases of hearing loss, damage from ototoxic medications can be permanent.

Understanding Ototoxic Drugs and Their Effects

Signs of ototoxicity may appear gradually or begin as soon as you start taking medication. The initial indication of medication-induced hearing damage typically manifests as tinnitus, characterized by a ringing sensation in the ears. Over time, this may progress to hearing loss, initially subtle and often unnoticed, until difficulty in comprehending speech or other auditory stimuli arises. Other symptoms of ototoxicity may include trouble balancing, dizziness and perceiving stationary objects as moving.

Monitoring Your Hearing Health

When beginning treatment with ototoxic drugs, asking a loved one to monitor changes in your hearing is recommended. Since we might not always notice when we’ve missed auditory cues, a loved one can offer valuable insights to help detect any signs of hearing loss and communicate them to your audiologist. A few signs to look out for include raising the volume on the TV, trouble hearing speech in loud environments like noisy dinners at Sea Salt and difficulty understanding children or others with high-pitched voices.

Balancing Risks and Benefits

While potential hearing loss may appear daunting, there are scenarios where the benefits of ototoxic drugs outweigh the risks. For instance, in the treatment of life-threatening conditions such as certain cancers, chemotherapy drugs may be the best option despite their ototoxic effects.

Before embarking on a healthcare regimen involving ototoxic medications, it’s crucial to engage in thorough discussions with your medical team. Understanding the full spectrum of potential outcomes helps you make informed decisions and prepares you for the possibility of hearing damage.

Prioritizing Hearing Health

If you’ve opted to proceed with ototoxic medication, proactive monitoring of your hearing before, during and after treatment is recommended. By prioritizing your hearing health, you can navigate the challenges posed by ototoxic drugs with greater confidence and awareness. Contact Center For Hearing today to arrange a comprehensive hearing evaluation and treatment consultation with one of our trusted specialists.

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The Future of Hearing Devices: Deep Neural Networks & Artificial Intelligence

February 14, 2025

Hearing technology has come a long way over the years; however, one aspect of hearing loss that many hearing aids have difficulty addressing is trouble understanding speech in noise. Fortunately, some of today’s state-of-the-art devices can solve this problem utilizing deep neural networks (DNN) and artificial intelligence (AI). Sensorineural hearing loss causes difficulty understanding speech in background noise. This type of hearing loss is caused by damage to the hair cells of the inner ear that convert soundwaves into electrical energy, which are then interpreted by the brain. This causes the quality and quantity of the signal sent from the ears to the brain to diminish over time, resulting in the brain expending more energy and effort to make sense of it. DNNs may help improve the transmission of the neural code, making hearing easier on the brain. [1] It’s important to know what DNNs are to understand how they can help. DNNs are a subset of AI. They rapidly analyze large data sets so that they can teach hearing aids and other technological devices how to respond to data like a human would, all while verifying accuracy and making corrections. DNNs are beneficial in hearing technology because they can help with speech enhancement. DNNs can be applied as “time-frequency masks,” meaning select sounds—like speech—are allowed while other sounds are suppressed. DNNs can also identify and separate multiple voices, selecting a primary voice to emphasize and secondary voices to suppress. This feature can help hearing device wearers in a variety of settings. For example, at a restaurant or party, the hearing device can emphasize a conversation partner, allow other nearby voices at a reduced volume and suppress background noises such as dishes clinking. Schedule an appointment to talk to Center for Hearing about our vast state-of-the-art hearing solutions today— (239) 434-0086. [1] Published by Douglas L. Beck. (2021, January 15). Deep neural networks in hearing devices. Retrieved April 2, 2021 from https://www.hearingreview.com/hearing-products/hearing-aids/deep-neural-networks

Startup Aims to Develop the First Gene Therapy for Hearing Loss

February 14, 2025

A Boston biotech startup is attempting to develop the first gene therapy treatment for hearing loss. If successful, it promises to offer new hope to the estimated 300,000 Americans who suffer from gene-based hearing loss—a number that includes more than 4,000 newborns. The timing may not be ideal, but biotech companies have been largely immune from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing recession. Developing new drugs takes years, so these companies are better able to weather storms. And the efforts of biotechnology companies that are focusing on tools to prevent and treat potentially fatal health threats has resulted in soaring stock values for many of these companies, even in the face of the current crisis. Akouos, the Boston startup, was founded in 2016. Its goal is to develop the first gene therapy to treat hearing loss and is targeting a specific form of deafness that results from mutations in a single gene. They are experimenting with adeno-associated viruses, using them as vectors to deliver DNA that encodes a functioning gene in certain target cells. Around 7,000 people are afflicted with this type of genetic hearing loss. Adeno-associated viruses are considered viable candidates because they don’t usually cause disease and can be customized to treat a variety of genetic conditions. The company has partnered with two influential organizations: Massachusetts Eye and Ear and Lonza, a Swiss manufacturing company that holds contracts with various pharmaceutical makers. Manny Simons, Akouos’ co-founder and chief executive, holds a degree in neuroscience from Harvard College, a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and an MBA from Harvard Business School. His desire to help those with hearing loss stems from his passion for playing the piano. “It’s easy to take hearing for granted,” said in a Boston Globe interview. “Maybe because music has been important to me, it’s something that I take a little less for granted.” [1] [1] Saltzman, J. (2020, June 22). Akouos, a startup developing a gene therapy for hearing loss, raises IPO value to $125 million - The Boston Globe. Retrieved June 30, 2020, from https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/06/22/business/ipo-upped-akouos-boston-startup-working-gene-therapy-hearing-loss/