It is'nt noise from the hearing aid. What happens is that if it is quiet, the hearing aid is sensitive enough to pick out quiet sounds. The high frequency range is most noticeable. It isn't very loud, but I can notice the small sound against a quiet background. What makes it odd is that I hear it only in the left ear, with the hearing aid, since my right ear has some high frequency loss.
This morning, when I went outside to go to work, I heard a bird chirping away, in a fairly high pitch. It didn't sound wrong, but I couldn't tell which direction it was coming from, because I could only hear it in one ear. I was looking around trying to spot it; my neighbors probably thought I was loony. I will get it adjusted on Monday.
It is probably wise to wait and watch, as long as those SHL episodes are short, and always followed by getting it back. There is no sense in treating until there is need.
I see CK and GK as equal in effectiveness for stopping the growth of an AN. CK may have an edge in preserving hearing, but the data on that is not solid yet. It does allow a wider range of beam placement than GK, although the latest Perfexion GK machines have more adjustments now. That may help reduce general side effects like swelling. I also think that the three day process they do on CK is gentler than the all at once of GK, which also helps limit side effects. I know several people who have done GK, though, and it has worked well for them.
Dr. Chang thought my 8mm job was at the small end of the scale, he said they usually do them a little bigger than that. I guess 2-3 mm is small enough that it is hard to get a precise location on it from the scans.
Oh yes, and I do have tinnitus (doesn't everyone?), and it does seem like the hearing aid helps reduce it, or at least make it less noticable.
Steve
