Medication side effects Archive

Many manufacturers are changing the ingredients in over-the-counter decongestants. How the new and old ingredients can affect your health, especially if you have heart disease.

Aspirin has many proven benefits and some research has linked its use to a lower risk for fractures after falls. Now, a more rigorous study finds a daily dose offers no added protection from serious falls and fractures compared with placebo.

A 2025 analysis suggests that far fewer people are considered candidates for low-dose aspirin to prevent heart disease with the updated PREVENT risk calculator compared with the older risk calculator.

The term ototoxicity describes inner ear damage from drugs that can cause tinnitus (ringing in the ears), and affect hearing and sometimes balance. Medications more likely to cause ototoxicity include aspirin; the antibiotics azithromycin and clarithromycin; certain chemotherapy drugs; loop diuretics such as furosemide (Lasix); and some biologics. These drugs can damage hearing by injuring hairlike projections in the inner ear. People taking ototoxic drugs should get their hearing tested before, during, and after using the drug.