For anyone who’s gone through chemotherapy, you know what an exhausting process it can be. You survived cancer and an intensive treatment process, but you’re still dealing with the effects of nausea, fatigue, loss of appetite, hair loss, pain, and insomnia. Another side-effect of your chemotherapy you might not have thought about is hearing loss.
Chemotherapy and Hearing Loss
In New York city, a pharmaceutical company is working with the Center for Hearing and Deafness at the State University to uncover the links between hearing loss and chemotherapy. We’re just beginning to understand this link, and researchers are look closely at the drugs used to treat cancer. Many of the medications that treat cancer can cause a lot of damage to your body, from your hair cells to your liver or spleen. They also affect the delicate cells in your inner ear. When these cells are damaged or die, they aren’t able to convert sound waves into electrical signals to send to the brain, and you won’t hear the sounds around you. Cancer treatments can also attack cells of the myelin sheath, affecting your brain’s ability to receive the sounds sent by the ear.
At OHSU’s Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, the links between hearing loss and chemotherapy are clear. Researchers tested 67 patients following their chemotherapy treatment, and found that 61 of them had hearing loss! Kristy Gilmer Knight, audiologist at the hospital, says the link is far more common that people think, and that doctors should be doing more to prevent hearing loss whenever possible.
Chemo Medications that can Cause Hearing Loss
Cisplatin is one of the drugs that has been linked to hearing loss, and it damages cells in the ear. This drug is often used to treat bladder, cervical, ovarian, and testicular cancer. Carboplatin is a medication used to treat lung cancer, uterine cancer and breast cancer, and it’s associated with damage to the myelin sheath. A third drug linked to hearing loss is oxaliplatin. High doses of any of these drugs often cause high frequency hearing loss. This kind of hearing loss affects high pitched sounds, and you won’t be able to hear high sounds like birds chirping, or the voices of your grandkids. Even though doctors know these drugs can cause hearing loss, and can lead to a host of other health problems, these medications continue to be used because they’re very effective at stopping cancer in its tracks.
Improving Quality of Life After Chemotherapy
For anyone who’s a cancer survivor, side effects of the lengthy treatment process stay with you long after you enter remission. Going through cancer isn’t like having a broken arm, and you don’t just wake up a few weeks after treatment with everything back to normal. Cancer changes your life, and there’s no normal to go back to. One side effect that can have some serious repercussions is hearing loss, and living with untreated hearing loss after chemotherapy drastically lower quality of life. Unfortunately, not all doctors are talking about hearing loss with their cancer patients.
One way to improve quality of life after chemotherapy is to invest in a pair of hearing aids. These sleek, sophisticated devices will help you get back to hearing normally, and allow you to interact with the world in a whole new way. During your treatment, you may have been spending less time with your friends and family than usual. After chemo, hearing loss could be a barrier to strengthening the friendships you want to invest in. Treating your hearing loss will make sure you’re able to communicate easily, participate in conversations, and develop strong relationships with the people that matter the most.
My Hearing Centers
If you or a loved one is taking one of these drugs to treat cancer, or you’re experiencing any tinnitus or hearing loss during your chemo, talk to your oncologist as soon as possible, and discuss lowering the dose or changing treatments.
Once you’ve talked to your doctor, visit us at My Hearing Centers for a hearing test. We’ll help you determine your level of hearing loss, and help you find the perfect device that will give you clear hearing. With quality hearing devices, you can battle cancer with one less worry on your mind.