Nasopharyngeal cancer: Ears ringing may be a sign of disease

The many cancers that are present today have symptoms that are similar to others, perhaps, less severe conditions. In this case, ringing ears may be a symptom of nasopharyngeal cancer.

Express reports that a ringing in the ears may be a sign of a tumor in the nose or nasopharyngeal cancer. However, it often gets mistaken for other types of cancer, like laryngeal cancer or esophageal cancer. In the United Kingdom, 250 people are diagnosed with the condition every year. This also happens to affect men more than women, with the average age of being diagnosed is at 50 years old.

It is easy to mistake this type of cancer to the previously mentioned types as it also affects the throat. But because this cancer is very hard to spot, the symptoms will not show until it reaches an advanced stage. Therefore, it is highly advised to consult a doctor in the event that you develop the symptoms, such as a lump in the neck, hearing loss, and frequent nosebleeds among others.

In terms of who would more likely to develop this cancer is undetermined. But Express also reports that diet may be one of the factors that would put a person at risk for developing the condition. This type of cancer is also more common in regions in Northern Africa and parts of Asia. A diet high in salt-cured meats, fish, and pickled food may put a person at risk. This is because these types of food have a high nitrate content. Nitrates, in turn, will react to a kind of protein that forms nitrosamines, which can damage the DNA.

In Asia, people who commonly eat Chinese salted-cured meat and fish, for example, may have a higher risk of developing this rare type of cancer. Coincidentally, people who have Chinese ancestry or are from China, have a bigger rate of nasopharyngeal cancer in the United Kingdom among the other ethnic groups and a big part of it has to do with their diet.

Aside from dietary choices, those who are exposed to HPV or the Human Papilloma Virus are also at risk.

But when it comes to lowering the risk of developing this disease, Cancer Research UK advises eating a lot of fruit and vegetables.