Coping with cancer is awful. As a result, patients receiving cancer treatment will in some cases feel compelled to disregard cancer treatment side effects, like hearing loss, as insignificant. But it’s critical to keep in mind that, for a lot of cancer patients, there is life after your disease. And you want that life to be as meaningful and prosperous as possible.
This means it’s important to speak with your care team about reducing and managing side effects caused by your treatment. By discussing possible hearing loss, tinnitus, or balance problems that may arise from chemotherapy, for example, you’ll be better prepared for what happens next, and be in a better position to fully enjoy life after cancer.
Available cancer treatments
In the past couple of decades, significant advancements in cancer treatment have been accomplished. The development of certain cancers can even be avoided with vaccines. But, broadly speaking, there are still three typical ways that doctors will combat this serious disease: surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.
There are unique drawbacks and strengths to each of these, and in some cases, they’re used in tandem. The best treatment course will be guided by your diagnosis, your prognosis, and your care team.
Do hearing and balance problems come with all cancer treatments? Usually, these side effects only accompany chemotherapy, but each patient is different.
What is chemotherapy?
Chemotherapy is a mixture of treatments that use strong chemicals to destroy cancer cells. For a wide variety of cancers, chemotherapy is the primary course of treatment because of its extremely successful track record. But because these chemicals are so powerful, chemotherapy can cause some uncomfortable side effects. Those side effects can include:
- Nausea
- Fatigue and tiredness
- Vomiting
- Mouth sores
- Hair loss
- Loss of hearing
Every patient reacts to chemotherapy in their own way. Side effects might also change based on the specific combination of chemicals used. Most people are fairly well aware of some of these symptoms, like hair loss for instance. But that’s not always the case with chemotherapy-induced hearing loss.
Can hearing loss be brought about by chemotherapy?
Hearing loss is not the most prominent chemotherapy side effect. But the truth is that chemotherapy can and does bring about hearing loss. Is hearing loss from chemo permanent? The answer is often yes.
So, which chemotherapy often comes with long-term hearing loss? In general, hearing loss tends to be most prevalent with platinum-based chemical protocols (known as cisplatin-based chemotherapy). These types of therapies are most often used to treat head, neck, and gynecological cancers, but they can be used for other cancers also.
Scientists think that platinum-based chemotherapy chemicals attack and damage the tiny delicate stereocilia in the ears, but the exact cause-and-effect relationship is still unclear. This can trigger hearing loss that is often irreversible.
Even if you’re battling cancer, you should still keep your eye on hearing loss
When you’re fighting cancer, hearing loss might not feel like your most pressing concern. But even when you’re coping with cancer, there are significant reasons why your hearing health is important:
- Social isolation is often the outcome of hearing loss. This can exacerbate many different conditions. In other words, receiving the appropriate treatment (or even purchasing the right groceries) can become more difficult when you are feeling socially isolated.
- Hearing loss, particularly neglected hearing loss, can negatively affect your mental health. Untreated hearing loss is closely related to increases in depression and anxiety. Fighting cancer can, similarly, increase anxiety and depression, so you don’t want to add more fuel to that fire.
- Chemotherapy-caused hearing loss can also result in balance issues and tinnitus. So can tinnitus also be caused by chemotherapy? Well, regrettably, the answer is yes. This tinnitus and loss of balance can be a problem, too. You don’t want to fall when you’re recovering from your chemotherapy treatment!
Reducing other health issues while you’re fighting cancer will likely be a priority, and something you’ll want to talk to your care team about.
What’s the solution?
You’re at the doctor’s a lot when you’re fighting cancer. But don’t let that stop you from scheduling an appointment for a hearing exam.
Here are a number of things that seeing a hearing specialist will help with:
- Initiate a relationship with a hearing specialist. Your hearing specialist will have a more detailed knowledge of the state of your hearing and its needs, if you do have hearing loss.
- Set a baseline for your hearing. This will make it considerably easier to identify hearing loss in the future.
- It will be easier to obtain prompt treatment when you experience the signs or symptoms of hearing loss.
So if you get hearing loss from chemo, can it be reversed? Regrettably, sensorineural hearing loss is irreversible, no matter the cause. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be treated. Your hearing loss can be treated and managed with the assistance of your hearing specialist. This could mean basic monitoring or it may include a set of hearing aids.
It should be noted, too, that most chemotherapy-caused hearing loss normally affects the higher-range of hearing frequencies. Your day-to-day hearing might not even really be impacted.
Your hearing health is important
It’s critical to pay attention to your hearing health. If you’re worried about how chemotherapy may impact your hearing, talk to your care team. Your treatment might not be able to be altered but at least you’ll be better able to keep an eye on your symptoms and to get faster treatment.
Chemotherapy can trigger hearing loss. But with the right plan, and a little help from your hearing specialist, you’ll be able to find effective treatments that keep you hearing better longer.
