There’s nothing that’s good about cancer. As a result, patients receiving cancer treatment will sometimes feel compelled to disregard cancer treatment side effects, like hearing loss, as trivial. 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!
This means it’s crucial to speak with your care team about decreasing and dealing with side effects caused by your treatment. You’ll be able to enjoy life after cancer more fully, for instance, if you discuss potential balance and hearing issues that could occur after chemotherapy, with your care team.
Cancer treatment options
Cancer treatment has advanced substantially in the past couple of decades. The development of some cancers can even be avoided with vaccines. But in general, doctors will utilize 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 in some cases, they’re used together. The best treatment course will be guided by your diagnosis, your prognosis, and your care team.
Do hearing and balance issues come with all cancer treatments? Well, each patient is different, but in general, these side effects are restricted to chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy – what is it?
Chemotherapy is a mix of treatments that use strong chemicals to kill cancer cells. For a wide array of cancers, chemotherapy is the primary course of treatment because of its very successful track record. But because these chemicals are so strong, chemotherapy can cause some unpleasant side effects. Here are several of these side effects:
- Mouth sores
- Vomiting
- Hearing loss
- Nausea
- Tiredness and fatigue
- Hair loss
Every patient responds to chemotherapy in their own way. The particular mix of chemicals also has a considerable impact on the specific side effects. Most people are fairly well aware of some of these symptoms, like hair loss for example. But that’s not necessarily the case with chemotherapy-induced hearing loss.
Can hearing loss be caused by chemotherapy?
Hearing loss is not the most prominent chemotherapy side effect. But hearing loss can be a real side effect of chemotherapy. Is hearing loss from chemo permanent? In many cases, yes.
So is there a particular type of chemo that is more likely to cause hearing loss? Generally speaking, hearing loss tends to be most prevalent with platinum-based chemical protocols (known as cisplatin-based chemotherapy). These kinds of therapies are most commonly used to treat head, neck, and gynecological cancers, but they can be used on other cancers too.
Scientists aren’t exactly certain how the cause and effect works, but the general sense is that platinum-based chemotherapy chemicals are especially adept at causing damage to the delicate hairs in your ear. Over time, this can cause hearing loss, and that hearing loss is often permanent.
Hearing loss is something you want to pay attention to, even when you’re fighting cancer
Hearing loss may not seem like that much of a concern when you’re battling cancer. But even when you’re dealing with cancer, there are substantial reasons why your hearing health is important:
- Hearing loss, particularly neglected hearing loss, can negatively impact your mental health. Untreated hearing loss is closely related to increases in depression and anxiety. Someone who is fighting cancer already has a heavy weight on their shoulders and the last thing they need is added anxiety and depression.
- Social isolation is often the outcome of hearing loss. Many different conditions can be aggravated by this. In other words, getting the correct treatment (or even buying the right groceries) can become more difficult when you are feeling socially isolated.
- Tinnitus and balance issues can also be the outcome of chemo-related hearing loss. So, now you’re thinking: hold on, does chemotherapy lead to tinnitus too? Regrettably, yes. Tinnitus is often connected with balance problems which can also be an issue. You don’t want to fall when you’re recovering from your chemotherapy treatment!
Reducing other health concerns while you’re fighting cancer will most likely be a priority, and something you’ll want to talk to 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 don’t let that stop you from scheduling an appointment for a hearing exam.
Visiting a hearing specialist will help you do a number of things:
- If you do detect hearing loss, it will be easier to get fast treatment.
- Become a patient of a hearing specialist. Your hearing specialist will have a more detailed understanding of the state of your hearing and its needs, if you do have hearing loss.
- Establish a hearing baseline. Then, if you develop hearing loss in the future, it will be easier to recognize.
So, can hearing loss from chemo be reversed? No matter the cause, sensorineural hearing loss can’t be cured, unfortunately. But there are treatment possibilities. Your hearing specialist will be able to help you treat and manage your hearing loss. This may mean basic monitoring or it may include a set of hearing aids.
It should be noted, too, that the majority of chemotherapy-caused hearing loss normally affects the higher-range of hearing frequencies. Your day-to-day hearing might not even really be effected.
Your hearing health is important
It’s crucial to take care of your hearing health. Discuss any worries you might have about how chemotherapy could impact your hearing with your care team. You might not be able to change treatment options, but at least you’ll be able to closely track your symptoms and treat them accordingly.
Hearing loss can be caused by chemotherapy. But with the correct plan, and a little assistance from your hearing specialist, you’ll be able to find effective treatments that keep you hearing better longer.
