When to get a hearing aid after FSR?

[Trish G]

I am currently receiving FST.  When I was diagnosed, my ENT said I needed a hearing aid but would need to wait until whichever treatment I selected was over.    That would avoid many adjustments.  Didn't really pay much attention to this, at that time, because all I was hearing was BRAIN TUMOR !!! All other words were,of course, insignificant.

Has anyone had this experience?   How long did you wait?  Did you go back to your original ENT or did you see an otolaryngolost connected to the neurosurgeon and radiation oncologist?

Every day I think of more questions that I have 't asked.   I teach and this hearing loss and off balance issues are how I landed here.

[Tisha]

My neurotologist has an audiologist in his office, so I just go see her.  However, my hearing aid isn't for my AN ear.  I would imagine that if your neurotologist has one you would just go to them.  You'll be having your annual MRI's for several years, and they will want to check your hearing each time.  If your doc doesn't have one, you can just go to your regular ENT.

[Tumbleweed]

Hi, Trish:

Somewhat similar story for me. After having CK at Stanford, I lost about 25 dB of hearing in midrange frequencies over the following 3 years. Dr. Chang told me I should wait until my hearing stabilized before getting a hearing aid. He said otherwise the programming of the hearing aid would be for a moving target. Last November, my audiogram showed no further hearing loss over the preceding 12 months time, so Dr. Chang recommended I finally get a hearing aid. I'm scheduled to get an Oticon Agil Pro in about a week.

So, your doctor is on the right track and patience is what you need now. I know it's difficult. But I think he's given you the right advice.

Best wishes,
TW

[Trish G]

Thanks TW,

I finished the FSR last week.  When I asked the radiologist about hearing aid she said it wouldn't help at all because it is heaing loss caused by nerve damage and hearing aid won't help that at all.

I know my hearing is worse already.  TV controls.

Now totally confused. 

Trish

[sunfish]

I got a hearing aid three months before CK.  And yes, I did have to get adjustments about every 3 months that first year or so.  But my hearing changed very little before/during/after treatment.

We CAN be helped by a hearing aid - there's lots of us on this forum as evidence. There are two kinds of hearing loss - conductive loss (means you have good nerves, but you have a blockage or something which keeps your ear mechanisms from working) and sensorineural loss (damage to auditory nerve from tumor).  We have sensorineural loss. 

I have severe high frequency loss in my AN ear.  But if the sound is amplified past a certain threshold, then I can hear it.  So I can't hear soft to moderately loud high frequency sounds, but I CAN hear loud high frequency sounds.  The hearing aid gives a boost to the specific sounds that I can't normally hear.  Hope I explained this OK. 

My hearing aid is tiny, comfortable, digital, and very sturdy.  The audiologist programs it with a computer for my specific pattern of hearing loss.  I love how it helps me, and I won't go without it in certain situations (at work, at home around soft-spoken family members).  I would recommend waiting several months and then getting one.  My hearing aid is made by Resound, and I'm very impressed with its quality, and plan to upgrade this fall.

[Trish G]

Thanks Sunfish,

Perfect explanation. 

Trish

[Tumbleweed]

I agree with Sunfish. Unless you are completely deaf in your affected ear (i.e., the hearing nerve is like a cut wire, with no conduction of nerve impulses whatsoever), a hearing aid should help by boosting the frequencies that are attenuated and you have trouble hearing.

I also trust Dr. Chang, who said a hearing aid would help me (i.e., someone who isn't SSD).

Best wishes,
TW