Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Erectile Dysfunction Drugs May Lead to Hearing Dysfunction

New research by a University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) professor shows an association between hearing loss and the use of the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra. This is causing a lot of concern among an older population which already has an inclination to lose hearing ability.

Findings published May 18 in Archives of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery indicate a potential for long-term hearing loss following use of Viagra, and possibly following use of other phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE-5i) drugs such as Cialis and Levitra, although results on those drugs are inconclusive. The one being studied is Viagra.

The article goes on to say, “It appears from these findings that the current government warning regarding hearing loss and the use of PDE-5i medications is warranted. Though there are limitations to this study, it is prudent that patients using these medications be warned about the signs and symptoms of hearing impairment and be encouraged to seek immediate medical attention to potentially forestall permanent damage.”

In 2007, following the report of several case studies potentially linking PDE-5i use and sudden hearing loss, the Food and Drug Administration announced labeling changes for PDE-5i medications so that the risk of hearing problems was more prominently displayed. The study author, Dr. McGwin, said this is the first epidemiologic study to evaluate the relationship between PDE-5i drugs and long-term hearing loss.

McGwin examined data on 11,525 men over 40 years of age gathered by the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, a survey conducted by the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality between 2003 and 2006. Men who reported use of PDE-5i medications were twice as likely to also report hearing loss as were men who had not used the drugs.

McGwin said the relationship was strongest for men reporting use of sildenafil (Viagra) over those who used tadalafil (Cialis) or vardenafil (Levitra), a finding he attributed in part to a small sample size for both of the latter drugs. McGwin said the findings indicated an elevated but not statistically significant increase in hearing loss for users of tadalafil and vardenafil.

PDE-5i drugs were originally designed to treat pulmonary hypertension and are now used extensively in the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED). McGwin said one important consideration in evaluating the nature of the relationship between the drugs and hearing is the existence of a plausible biological mechanism of how these drugs might cause hearing loss.

“PDE-5i medications work in ED patients by their ability to increase blood flow to certain tissues in the body,” said McGwin. “It has been hypothesized that they may have a similar effect on similar tissues in the ear, where an increase of blood flow could potentially cause damage leading to hearing loss.”

Dave

Monday, May 10, 2010

"No Rub" Contact Lens Products -- Do they work?

For years now, I've been using those "no rub" contact lens products. There are a variety of lens cleaning solutions that promise to remove protein from the contacts and keep your all-important lenses as clean as they should be. And yet, I've never been totally satisfied. I've recently discovered that this is more of a marketing statement than anything else. "No rub" to me is simply a nonsense statement. After doing some investigation, I've extended the use of my lenses by a week or two at a minimum and I'm getting many more annoyance-free hours out of them daily.

I used to put my lenses on in the morning about 7 AM and by 6 PM or so I'd be dying to take them out. And, during the day, I'd have regular periods where I just couldn't see like I was used to. Blurry vision, lots of blinking and squinting, etc, would occur regularly. After my new routine, this does not occur any longer.

To determine whether this routine was actually making a difference, I put one set of contact lenses through the old "no rub" process and another similar set through the process below. Sure enough, by the end of the week, there was a considerable difference in my vision through the lenses that had been properly cleaned. Here's what I now do:

1) Take the lenses out and put a few drops of your contact lens solution on them and run with your finger tips on both sides of the lens, very carefully, taking about 10 - 15 seconds per side.

2) Insert the lens into your lens holder cup and fill with solution. Allow to stand overnight.

3) Remove the lens in the morning and put in the palm of your hand. Apply a small amount of saline solution such as the excellent product "Unisol 4" by Alcon Laboratories. Now, repeat that light rub that you gave the lens the night before, but this time with the clean saline.

4) Place the lens in your eye. Notice how fresh it feels and without sting, since the saline washes away the cleaning agent.

This is allergy season in Sedona, and the air is full of Juniper pollen and its the worst time for buildup on contact lenses. I have given my lenses a new lease on life. Try it!

Dave