Coping with cancer is horrible. Because of this, patients receiving cancer treatment will sometimes feel compelled to disregard cancer treatment side effects, such as hearing loss, as insignificant. But it’s essential to remember that, for a great many cancer patients, there is life after your disease. And, obviously, you want a really full and happy life!
Talking to your healthcare team about managing and minimizing side effects is so essential for this reason. You’ll be able to enjoy life after cancer more fully, for instance, if you discuss possible balance and hearing issues that could arise after chemotherapy, with your care team.
Available cancer treatments
In the past 20 years, significant advancements in cancer treatment have been made. There are even some vaccines that can prevent the development of some cancers in the first place! But generally, doctors will make use of one or more of three different ways to fight this disease: radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery.
There are distinctive drawbacks and strengths to each of these, and sometimes, they’re used in tandem. The best treatment course will be determined by your diagnosis, your prognosis, and your care team.
Do all cancer treatments lead to hearing and balance issues? Well, every patient is different, but in general, these side effects are limited to chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy – what is it?
Chemotherapy is a combination of treatments that use strong chemicals to kill cancer cells. For a wide array of cancers, chemotherapy is the main course of treatment because of its very successful track record. But chemotherapy can create some very uncomfortable side effects because these chemicals are so strong. Here are several of these side effects:
- Fatigue and tiredness
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Sores in the mouth
- Hearing loss
- Hair loss
Every patient reacts to chemotherapy in their own way. Side effects may also vary depending on the specific mix of chemicals used. Some of these side effects tend to be fairly visible and well known (hair loss, for instance). But that’s not necessarily the case with chemotherapy-induced hearing loss.
Can hearing loss be brought about by chemotherapy?
Hearing loss isn’t the most well known chemotherapy side effect. But hearing loss can be an actual side effect of chemotherapy. Is hearing loss from chemo permanent? In many instances, yes.
So is there a specific type of chemo that is more likely to result in hearing loss? Platinum-based chemical protocols (also known as cisplatin-based chemotherapy) are more typically responsible for hearing loss side effects. This type of therapy can be used on various forms of cancers but is most often used to treat head, neck, and gynecological cancers.
Scientists believe that platinum-based chemotherapy chemicals attack and damage the tiny delicate stereocilia in the ears, but the exact cause-and-effect relationship is still not clear. This can trigger hearing loss that is often irreversible.
Even if you’re fighting cancer, you still need to pay attention to hearing loss
When you’re battling cancer, hearing loss might not seem like your biggest concern. But even when you’re coping with cancer, there are substantial reasons why the health of your hearing is relevant:
- Hearing loss, particularly neglected hearing loss, can negatively affect your mental health. Anxiety and depression are closely connected to untreated hearing loss. Someone who is battling cancer already has a heavy weight on their shoulders and the last thing they need is more anxiety and depression.
- Tinnitus and balance issues can also be the result of chemo-associated hearing loss. So can tinnitus also be caused by chemotherapy? Sadly, yes. Tinnitus is often linked to balance issues which can also be a problem. You don’t want to fall when you’re recovering from your chemotherapy treatment!
- Social isolation is frequently the result of hearing loss. Lots of different conditions can be exacerbated by this. In other words, obtaining the appropriate treatment (or even purchasing the right groceries) can become more difficult when you’re feeling socially isolated.
Minimizing other health concerns while you’re fighting cancer will likely be a priority, and something you’ll want to speak with your care team about.
So what should you do?
When you’re fighting cancer, your life becomes a laundry list of doctor’s appointments. But it’s worthwhile to add one more appointment to your list: make an appointment with a hearing specialist.
Visiting a hearing specialist will help you do several things:
- If you do detect hearing loss, it will be easier to obtain fast treatment.
- Become a patient of a hearing specialist. Your hearing specialist will have a more comprehensive knowledge of the state of your hearing and its needs, if you do have hearing loss.
- Set a hearing baseline. This will make it substantially easier to recognize hearing loss in the future.
So if you develop hearing loss from chemo, can it be cured? No matter the cause, sensorineural hearing loss can’t be cured, unfortunately. 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. You might need hearing aids or you may just need your hearing to be monitored.
It’s mostly frequencies in the higher register that go when your hearing loss is triggered by chemo. It may not necessarily have any effect on your day-to-day hearing.
Caring for your hearing is important
It’s essential to take care of your hearing health. Talk over any worries you may have about how chemotherapy might affect your hearing with your care team. Your treatment may not be able to change but at least you’ll be better able to keep an eye on your symptoms and to get faster treatment.
Chemotherapy can cause hearing loss. But with the correct plan, and a little assistance from your hearing specialist, you’ll be able to get effective treatments that keep you hearing better longer.
References
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/chemotherapy-and-hearing-loss-monitoring-is-essential-2020041319457
Common Chemotherapy Drugs Seem to Increase Hearing Loss in Some Adults