Tinnitus caused by the use of oral antihypertensives

Abstract

Introduction: Tinnitus is the perception of sound that cannot be attributed to an external sound source, being unpleasant and a relatively frequent condition. Some antihypertensive drugs are related to the occurrence of tinnitus of pulsatile character, causing interactions in the outer or inner hair cells, imbalances in the balance of afferent fibers and cortical reorganization phenomena, in a way that affects the patient's quality of life.

Objective: To identify the antihypertensive drugs that cause tinnitus in the outpatient management of arterial hypertension.

Methods: The PRISMA protocol was used in the study method. The search was carried out in electronic databases. Articles that did not meet the eligibility criteria were excluded. The most current studies on the subject were prioritized.

Results: The prevalence of tinnitus increased over the years, so it became a medical consultation in patients with arterial hypertension, which depends on outpatient management, time of use and administered doses of antihypertensive drugs with ototoxic power.

Conclusions: We identified that the use of angiotensin-transforming enzyme inhibitors, diuretics and the interaction between them increase the risk of developing tinnitus. This risk is particularly higher in elderly patients.