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SALT LAKE CITY — Women who regularly take drugs like Advil and Tylenol may be putting themselves at a higher risk for deafness later in life, according to a recent study.
Researchers studied more than 62,000 women and found that taking drugs containing ibuprofen or acetaminophen twice a week or more increased the risk of hearing loss by up to 13 percent.
The association between the painkillers and hearing loss was more prevalent in women under 50, and was stronger in those who took ibuprofen more than six times a week.
Taking ibuprofen six times a week made women 24 percent more likely to develop hearing loss. Taking acetaminophen up to five times a week led to a 21 percent increase, according to Medical News Today.
Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital followed 62,261 women between the ages of 31 and 48 for 14 years, between 1995 and 2009. Of the women studied, 10,012 reported hearing loss.
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The reason for the link is unknown, as is whether the damage to hearing is permanent.
One possibility for the hearing loss is that anti-inflammatory drugs "may reduce blood flow to the cochlea - the hearing organ - and impair its function. Acetaminophen may deplete factors that protect the cochlea from damage," according to study author Dr. Sharon Curhan.
Researchers said the effect was not the same in women taking aspirin regularly. Since only women were studied, it is unknown whether the medication would have a similar effect on men.
Over-the-counter pain medication is commonly used in the U.S., with Americans spending an estimated $5 billion a year on the drugs.
