How Viagra Messes With Your Hearing Ability

Although Viagra is widely used by millions of men around the world, it causes unexpected side effects, and one of them is hearing loss. Can the famous blue pill make you deaf, or its dangers are overrated?

What Viagra is used for?

Viagra is a medication that contains slidenafil – an active ingredient that helps to treat erectile dysfunction in men. It increases blood flow to genitals thus contributing to better sexual experience. The medication helps males to prolong erection and maintain it to have a satisfactory sexual act with the partner.

While Viagra is licensed for use in men, women also claim that it helps them to boost sexual arousal and get better sexual experience. The principle of work is the same: it boosts blood flow to genitals and clitoris. Interestingly, such side effect as hearing loss affects mostly men than women.

General side effects of Viagra

It is not a secret that Viagra may cause various side effects, starting from minor ones and finishing by serious complications.

These side effects include:

• headache;
• back pain;
• nausea;
• abnormalities in vision;
• nasal congestion;
• dizziness;
• rash.

Such occasions as hearing loss are less common, but there are hundreds of reported cases when men complained about hearing disorders after using the blue pills.

It’s worth mentioning that hearing loss is a primary reason of tinnitus, serious ear disease. About 70% of tinnitus cases are caused by hearing loss, so frequent intake of Viagra can contribute to it.

How does Viagra work?

Being a PDR-5 inhibitor (Phosphodiesterase Type 5), slidenafil (the main ingredient of Viagra) triggers the release of nitric oxide which activates the enzyme guanylate cyclase and boosts the level of guanosine monophosphate leading of muscle relaxation, increased blood flow and erection. The inhibitor acts in the brain and can affect neurotransmission. It leads to such side effects as hearing or vision loss.

Different trials have proved that some PDE5 inhibitors can lead to unexpected sensorineural hearing loss, because they induce widening of blood vessels by controlling the above mentioned chemical nitrous oxide-cyclic GMP (No/cGMP) pathway. It is said to have toxic effects on hearing since it damages inner ear. Others reckon that it is increased blood flow that makes PDE5 inhibitors damage the auditory system, but this idea seems to be doubtful.

Note that Viagra adverse effects are tightly connected with the dose: the more you get, the higher is the risk of developing some complications.

What statistics say?

The research conducted by specialists from British hospitals Charing Cross, Stoke Mandeville and Royal Marsden (both men and women were tested) has shown that:

• average age of people suffering from hearing loss was 56.6 years, and men were seven times more susceptible to it;
• 88% of participants had hearing loss only in one ear, the rest had both ears affected;
• mostly, hearing loss occurred within 24 hours after taking Viagra.

Another study was performed in 2007, and its results were published in medical magazines. It showed that some people taking Viagra and similar drugs have reported sudden hearing loss in both or one ears, and sometimes it was added with ringing in ear, or tinnitus. This trial has proved that men are twice more likely to experience hearing loss from women. This discovery made Federal Drug Administration warn people that use of Viagra is not as safe as it seems. It is suggested that increased blood flow can damage hearing system.

Scientists’ opinion

It’s not clear for how long does hearing loss lasts, but there have been no reports proving that Viagra can lead to permanent complications. Besides, many connect this side effect with ear infections and exposure to loud music and noise. All in all, the chance of hearing loss is minor, and it occurs in less than 1% of users.

Signs of hearing loss

How can one know that the blue pill has affected him or her? Sometimes a person may not even notice that there are some problems.

The signs of hearing abnormalities can be the following:

1. Friends and family may start telling you that you have problems with hearing. Sometimes it can be gradual, so you won’t even notice that. So if someone recommends you to check hearing, follow their advice.
2. If you turn up the volume of TV, radio or your MP3 player more than before, consider it as a sign that your hearing ability weakens.
3. People may also have troubles hearing sounds of high frequencies, for instance, female or child’s voice.
4. Problem hearing in spacious rooms (concert halls, lecture rooms, etc.) – the places where echo is produced.
5. Difficulty hearing background noise is a more or less noticeable sign of hearing loss.

If you experience some of these symptoms, you should cease using Viagra (or any other PDE-5 inhibitors). Besides, you are better to discuss that with your hearing healthcare professional.

How can I avoid hearing loss?

Good news: the risk of such incidence is very minor: only 1% or less men experience serious hearing loss after taking Viagra, and most of them are older than 50. Bad news: everything depends on your personal body reaction. Some people are simply allergic to slidenafil, and you can be one of them. Therefore, if you take Viagra, and it cases serious side effects (including hearing loss), you can only help yourself by ceasing using this medication (and, probably, other PDE-5 inhibitors, too.).

Note that the chance of developing this or that side effect depends on the frequency of Viagra intake. The more often you use the pill, the more is the risk. Therefore, Viagra should be taken not on a permanent basis, but only prior to sexual act.

Poor hearing means poor quality of life. So if you experience serious side effects after taking Viagra (including problems with ears), think twice whether the positive effects are worth the risks taken. You can always consult with your doctor and find out what alternatives can be used.