Hearing loss

There have been several reports of hearing impairment affecting people with HIV. One of the difficulties is distinguishing between hearing loss that may occur independently as part of the ageing process, and that which may be related to HIV infection or its treatment.

There is no evidence that HIV infection itself causes or accelerates loss of hearing. However, it has been suggested that HIV-positive people aged over 35 who are taking anti-HIV drugs may be more likely to experience some hearing loss. A history of ear infection may also be relevant. Opportunistic infections that can affect the brain, such as toxoplasmosis or CMV, may also affect hearing. Some drugs that may be prescribed for treating or preventing opportunistic infections can sometimes also cause hearing impairment, such as amikacin, capreomycin and paromomycin.

If there is concern that someone can no longer hear as well as they used to, or if their hearing changes in other ways (for example, if they start to hear noises or sounds), they should mention it to their doctor, who will be able to check whether they are taking any drugs known to be associated with hearing problems and test for any opportunistic infections.