Three of the most commonly used drugs in the US are

• Aspirin
• Ibuprofen and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and
• Acetaminophen (the active ingredient of Tylenol).

A lot of men (and women too) pop these pills like candy.

It’s not unusual for a man in his late forties or fifties – particularly if he’s been an athlete – to have a collection of knee, shoulder, back, or neck pains.  And to numb them with regular doses of these seemingly innocuous chemicals.

Most people taking these drugs assume the risks are negligible.  But they’re not.

A study published in the March issue of the American Journal of Medicine points to the possibility of an increased risk of hearing loss if you take these drugs – even if you only take them only twice per week.  What’s also frightening about the research is that the hearing loss they found wasn’t only in older men.  In fact, these pain-killer drugs seemed to create more of a relative risk for hearing loss in men under 60.

There are plenty of alternatives to these dangerous drugs.

Of course, the best alternative is not to place the type of strain on your body parts to cause chronic pain in the first place.

But let’s say it’s too late for that.  You still have other options you can try.  For instance, massage or chiropractic.  Or commit to a nutrition supplement regimen that includes omega-3 fatty acids and proteolytic enzymes. (These are the enzymes that digest proteins if you take them along with meals.  But if you take them in between meals, they can have an anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effect.)

Don’t settle for a level of health based on the expectations that have been blasted into your skull by endlessly repeated TV commercials or freebie note pads and promotional pens at your doctor’s office.  You deserve better.

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Deepen Your Body of Knowledge

List of drugs known to affect hearing

My brother-in-law keeps a supply in his golf bag