--- title: "Hearing Loss and NSAID Use | Sutter Health" description: "I take ibuprofen daily for back problems, but I read recently that sometimes it can cause hearing loss. Is this true, and how much would you need to take to cause this to happen?" url: "/ask-an-expert/answers/hearing-loss-nsaid-use-1051061376" --- 1. Home / 2. Hearing Loss and NSAID Use # Hearing Loss and NSAID Use * * * Medically reviewed by - Wendy Schreuder, M.S. ## Question I take ibuprofen daily for back problems, but I read recently that sometimes it can cause hearing loss. Is this true, and how much would you need to take to cause this to happen? ## Answer I read several studies that seem to link increased risk of hearing loss to use of NSAIDS (ibuprofen is an NSAID). It is important to understand that there is an increase RISK of hearing loss in both women and men with regular use of ibuprofen, and there is a link between how much is taken (number of days per week it is used; not much said about the dosages though) and the increase in RISK of hearing loss. Some reports are citing an 11 to 24 percent increase in risk for hearing loss with regular usage of NSAID pain medications. Without having long-term studies on individuals who are showing hearing loss, it is hard to decipher whether the hearing loss is from the ibuprofen or from other factors such as family history or noise exposures. I would err on the side of caution, however, and consider the risks very real, and I would discuss alternative medicines for pain with your physician or practitioner. ## Explore related topics Ear, nose and throatEarsHearing LossDisease prevention ## Related questions View all questions - Health Q&A ### Is Hearing Loss Inevitable As We Age? 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I've used ear rinses and had my primary care doctor examine it, but she could not find anything. Any suggestions? View all questions ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalOrganization","name":"Sutter Health","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org","logo":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/static/images/sutter-health-logo.svg","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"2200 River Plaza Drive","addressLocality":"Sacramento","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"95833","addressCountry":"US"},"areaServed":{"@type":"AdministrativeArea","name":"California"},"sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/SutterHealth","https://www.instagram.com/sutterhealth/","https://x.com/SutterHealth","https://www.youtube.com/sutterhealth","https://www.linkedin.com/company/sutter-health","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutter_Health"]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/hearing-loss-nsaid-use-1051061376#breadcrumblist","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Hearing Loss and NSAID Use"}]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalWebPage","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/hearing-loss-nsaid-use-1051061376#medicalwebpage","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/hearing-loss-nsaid-use-1051061376","name":"Hearing Loss and NSAID Use","description":"I read several studies that seem to link increased risk of hearing loss to use of NSAIDS (ibuprofen is an NSAID).","inLanguage":"en-US","medicalAudience":{"@type":"MedicalAudience","audienceType":"Patient"},"isPartOf":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/hearing-loss-nsaid-use-1051061376#breadcrumblist"},"mainEntity":{"@type":"Question","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/hearing-loss-nsaid-use-1051061376#question","name":"Hearing Loss and NSAID Use","text":"I take ibuprofen daily for back problems, but I read recently that sometimes it can cause hearing loss. Is this true, and how much would you need to take to cause this to happen?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/hearing-loss-nsaid-use-1051061376#answer","text":"I read several studies that seem to link increased risk of hearing loss to use of NSAIDS (ibuprofen is an NSAID). It is important to understand that there is an increase RISK of hearing loss in both women and men with regular use of ibuprofen, and there is a link between how much is taken (number of days per week it is used; not much said about the dosages though) and the increase in RISK of hearing loss. Some reports are citing an 11 to 24 percent increase in risk for hearing loss with regular usage of NSAID pain medications. Without having long-term studies on individuals who are showing hearing loss, it is hard to decipher whether the hearing loss is from the ibuprofen or from other factors such as family history or noise exposures. I would err on the side of caution, however, and consider the risks very real, and I would discuss alternative medicines for pain with your physician or practitioner.","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/hearing-loss-nsaid-use-1051061376","author":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/hearing-loss-nsaid-use-1051061376#expert"}}},"publisher":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization"},"reviewedBy":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/hearing-loss-nsaid-use-1051061376#expert"}} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Person","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/hearing-loss-nsaid-use-1051061376#expert","name":"Wendy Schreuder","honorificSuffix":"M.S."} ```