Men under 60 who used analgesics two or more times a week were more likely to suffer hearing loss. The type of analgesic used – acetaminophen, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) or aspirin – affected the degree of hearing loss.

The data was taken from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS) which has followed men in the health professions since 1986. There were 26,917 men between the ages of 40 and 74 in the study who received a questionnaire  every two years about their use of analgesics, disease and health related matters. The  study also compared different age groups to the types of analgesic used. Hearing loss had to be professionally diagnosed.

Breakdown of Hearing Loss in Men under 50 :

• acetaminophen users were 99% more likely to experience hearing loss
• NSAID users were 61% more likely to experience hearing loss
• aspirin users were 33% more likely to experience hearing loss

The longer NSAIDs or acetaminophen were used, the greater the risk of hearing loss. This did not apply to regular aspirin users. The risk for men over 60 was considerably less.

You can read the complete report, Analgesic Use and the Risk of Hearing Loss in Men, published in the American Journal of Medicine.

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