Hearing Loss and Cancer

When you receive a cancer diagnosis, you’re focused on big-picture treatments and solutions. Your life is at stake, and you probably aren’t thinking about every side effect that’s to come. While cancer treatment can save your life, it can also affect your hearing. 

Cancer-related hearing loss is usually the result of intense treatments like chemotherapy. However, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get chemo. 

The more you know, the better you can protect your body as you go through treatments. Explore how cancer treatments affect your hearing and balance, as well as preventive measures you can take to protect your hearing. 

Which Types of Cancer Directly Cause Hearing Loss?

Some types of cancer can directly affect your hearing. Cancer is defined as abnormal cell growth that spreads to various areas of your body. Since the cell growth is uncontrolled, it poses serious dangers to your health. 

Skin Cancer 

Skin cancer spreads quickly. This is the most common type of cancer that directly causes hearing loss. 

Your temporal bone is a section of your skull that covers your inner ear structures, like the nerves that allow you to hear. When it’s infected with cancer, it can break down and cause permanent damage to your facial muscles and ears. 

The root diagnosis is usually basal skin carcinoma. This cancer can spread to your inner ear, which is the control center for your hearing and balance abilities. Basal skin carcinoma can infect your temporal bone and cause other side effects, like loss of balance and painful ulcers. 

Squamous cell carcinoma can also cause hearing loss. This skin cancer usually starts elsewhere in your body and metastasizes (travels) to places like your temporal bone. 

Brain Tumors

If you have a brain tumor that affects your auditory (hearing) nerves, you may experience partial or total hearing loss. Other types of cancer can metastasize to your brain and cause this problem as well. 

Head and Neck Cancer

Nasopharyngeal cancer affects soft tissues in your nose and throat. This type of cancer can spread and affect nerves and tubes around your inner ear. You may experience hearing loss or ringing in your ear (tinnitus). 

Hearing Loss and Cancer Treatments 

If cancer itself doesn’t cause hearing problems, what does? Here’s how hearing loss and cancer treatments are linked. 

Can Cancer Treatment Cause Hearing Loss? 

Treatments like chemotherapy and radiation can cause hearing loss. Ototoxicity and cancer therapy are linked because of the effects these aggressive treatments have on your body. They get rid of cancer cells, but they can also damage healthy tissues. 

However, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t treat your cancer. There are preventive measures you can take to protect your hearing during chemo and radiation. 

Ototoxicity: Chemotherapy’s Effects on Your Hearing

Chemotherapy treats cancer using very strong drugs that wipe out cancerous cells. Because of the strength of chemo drugs, other body systems, like your hearing and balance, can become damaged. This is known as ototoxicity. 

Some chemo drugs contain platinum, an element on the periodic table. These drugs are usually ototoxic, so they can result in partial or total hearing loss. 

Cisplatin is currently the most ototoxic chemo drug. It can enter your inner ear, which is a space other drugs normally don’t affect. Scientists believe cisplatin stays in your inner ear, causing cumulative damage over time. 

Other chemo drugs may be less ototoxic but still cause partial hearing loss or tinnitus. When paired with radiation therapy, ototoxic chemo drugs are even more likely to damage your hearing. 

Head and Neck Radiation

Radiation treatments use energy to get rid of cancer cells. These strong energy waves can damage your hearing if you need radiation near your head and neck. 

There are a few ways radiation damages your hearing. The energy waves used to target cancer cells may affect your ear canal, eardrum, or other ear structures. If they thicken, it can be harder for sound waves to reach your eardrum, resulting in partial or total hearing loss. 

Radiation can also damage the auditory nerves that help your brain process sounds. High doses of radiation are usually responsible for this side effect, and the resulting hearing loss cannot be reversed. 

Signs and Symptoms of Cancer-Related Hearing Loss

If you’re going through cancer treatments and worried about your hearing, don’t panic. These signs and symptoms serve as warning signs of cancer-related hearing damage, and they can be addressed with proper intervention. 

Some signs of hearing damage include:

• Constant ringing in your ears (tinnitus)
• Trouble hearing high-pitched noises
• Noticeable hearing loss
• Inability to hear quiet or normal-volume sounds
• Needing a higher television or headphone volume than before
• Trouble carrying a face-to-face conversation with others 

An audiologist should assess your hearing and look for these symptoms before cancer treatments, if possible. That way, they can track any changes that occur during and after treatment. 

How to Protect Your Hearing During Cancer Treatments

Preventing hearing loss from cancer treatment is not always possible. It’s important to have realistic expectations and weigh the benefits of cancer treatment against the risks with your doctor. They may provide an alternative cancer treatment to avoid hearing damage. 

Some up-and-coming treatments, like statin prescriptions, might protect your hearing during cancer treatments. The FDA has approved an otoprotective drug to reduce the risk of children developing hearing loss after chemo. 

You can take some general steps to protect your hearing health during cancer treatment and beyond. Things like keeping the volume on your electronics low and wearing ear protection during events like concerts can help. 

Treatment Options: What to Do if You Experience Cancer-Related Hearing Problems 

Cancer-related hearing problems don’t have to take over your life. Treatments like hearing aids and listening devices can help you navigate life after hearing loss and cancer complications. 

You can also use available features on technology like captions, subtitles, and text transcripts to help you. An audiologist will help you evaluate your options and find the best hearing loss treatment for you. 

Get Hearing Loss Treatment at Happy Ears Hearing

We’re here to make life easier for those struggling with hearing loss and cancer complications. At Happy Ears Hearing, we offer the latest in hearing technology and assistance for people of all ages. Schedule an appointment with one of our audiologists to start treating your cancer-related hearing problems today!