Too much sex, drugs can impair hearing, docs say

Top ear specialists are now one in saying that there is, indeed, truth to the common belief that too much sex and too much drugs are bad for one’s nerves and can lead to hearing impairment.

Dr. Charlotte Chiong, an ear, eye, nose and throat (EENT) specialist at the Capitol Medical Center and Manila Doctors Hospital, said the pressure applied on the abdomen during strenuous physical exertion while engaging in sex causes "intra-cranial pressure" that affects the nerves, especially the auditory nerves.

She said hearing impairment could also be due to taking too much medicines such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), certain injectables and medicines for tuberculosis and malaria.

Top audiologist Dr. Nelly Ledesma, a fellow of the American Academy of Audiologists (AAA), echoed this, citing an AAA study that there are more than 1,000 drugs being sold in the market that cause hearing impairment.

Dr. Virgilio de Gracia, another leading EENT specialist, added that aside from NSAIDS, salicylate drugs also cause damage to the nerves.

For throat irritation caused by coughing, he said it is better to turn to natural remedies such as gargling water mixed with salt or drinking salabat (ginger ale) instead of turning to costly throat lozenges or mint drops sold over the counter in drugstores.

But those already with hearing problems should not despair. The ear specialists gave assurances that hearing impairment can be easily solved in these modern times by wearing hearing aids or going under the knife for surgical eardrum restoration.