Sometimes kids who take high doses of drugs for cancer,
infection, or other illnesses develop hearing or balance
problems (or both) as a result of taking the drugs. When a
medication damages the inner ear - the part of the ear
responsible for receiving/sending sounds and controlling balance
- it's called ototoxicity or "ear poisoning." The degree of
damage to the ear depends on what type of drug a child is
taking, how much, and for how long. And the severity can vary
from child to child. Some kids may have no or very minimal
hearing loss and "ringing in the ears" (tinnitus), while others
may experience major problems with balance and/or profound
hearing loss (deafness). Fortunately, when ototoxicity is caught
early, doctors can try to prevent problems from becoming worse
and get kids the rehabilitation they need to address the damage
that's been done. Signs and Symptoms Some kids may notice
obvious hearing problems, usually in both ears (called bilateral
hearing loss ). They may have trouble hearing certain t