The graph above is a copy of my Audiology tests for my relatively normal right ear (in thick blue and pink) as well as my affected left ear before and after Gamma Knife Treatment. Low-pitched sounds are in the 250 - 500 Hz range, normal speech in the 2000 - 3000 Hz range, and high-pitched sounds are in the 4000 Hz range and up. Differences of 5 dB between any set of data points at any particular frequency are considered insignificant.

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1. The thick blue line of my right ear hearing test illustrates my normal right ear hearing as of September 10, 2010. Any variance between 0 and 25 dB at any tested sound level is considered the 'normal' range.  As can be seen, I have a drop-off at 8000 Hz (very high pitched sounds) which puts me in a mild loss category for very high frequencies in my right ear.  My audiologist talks about this being a ‘normal’ process of aging.  Bummer!

2. The thick, pink line of my right ear hearing test illustrates my normal right ear hearing as of August 8, 2018.  Needless to say, hearing in my 'normal' ear shows a dropoff across the whole range of frequencies.  Compared to my hearing test in 2010, I am definitely illustrating age-related hearing loss...Oh, well, it's still not that bad!

3. The green line indicates the hearing in my left ear one month before my neuroma was officially diagnosed. My drop-off to 40 dB at 4000 Hz is considered a mild hearing loss at that pitch while the drop-off to 70 dB at 8000 Hz is considered a moderate hearing loss at that pitch. My ability to pick up higher pitched sounds had been compromised by the presence of the neuroma.

4. The yellow line indicates the hearing in my left ear 7 1/2 months after Gamma Knife treatment. At 4000 Hz my hearing has improved from 40 dB to 30 db (at this point, statistically insignificant). At 8000 Hz, though, my hearing has improved from 70dB to 45 dB!

5. The red line indicates the hearing in my left ear just shy of 3 years after Gamma Knife treatment. After consultation on these results with my neurologist, my results are virtually unchanged from my previous hearing test. My neurologist is pleased with the results, as am I. He feels that my having retained this much hearing after 3 years is excellent.  By the way, word recognition during my hearing test was at 96% with my treated ear - I only hope it continues.

6. The purple line indicates the hearing in my left ear just shy of 9 years after Gamma Knife treatment.  In the 6 years since my last hearing test, the low frequency hearing in my left ear is still quite good, but my midrange hearing has dropped off to 35 - 40 dB at 2000 - 3000 Hz.  My hearing at an upper frequency (4000 Hz) has also dropped off, but remains stable at 8000 Hz.  I am in the process of seeing a specialist and am looking into buying a digital hearing aid for my left ear.  The hearing aid increases my ability to discern important sounds in conversations and I also do better with conversation where there’s a lot of background noise.

7. The black line indicates hearing in my left ear nearly 17 years after Gamma Knife Treatment, in August of 2018.  Needless to say, from 250 Hz (low pitch sounds) to 4000 Hz (high pitch sounds), I have definitely had a dropoff in hearing across the board.  The dropoff is similar to that experienced in my good ear.  So, is this neuroma related or age related?  The normal ear dropoff is pretty normal for an aging male in his late 60's.  On the other hand, my hearing dropoff in my neuroma ear could be due to aging, but also to long term affects of the Gamma treatment.  Only time will tell.

 

Overall, I am still pleased with my hearing ability nearly 18 years after my Gamma Knife treatment.  The fact that I still can hear out of my neuroma ear at all is a major accomplishment and I am grateful for that. I have adapted well to moderate hearing loss in my left ear (Moderately severe at higher pitches), which along with my right ear, allows me to carry on normal conversation most all of the time.  Noisy environments, though, like restaurants, concerts, or sporting events, still wreak havoc for conversation.  Therefore, I move closer to those talking and just do the best I can.

 

In 2016, I contacted an excellent audiologist in Ocala, Florida where I now live, and was fitted with a left ear Siemens Signia hearing aid with a custom fitted ear insert.  I did have an earlier hearing aid model in 2010 or so, but it didn't work well for me. The latest Siemens version is much better and I wear it every day. 

 

Having a hearing aid for my neuroma ear has helped clear up conversation for the most part and I wouldn't attempt conversation without it.  Conversations in quiet environments, though, are definitely are much easier than where it is noisy.  As those of us who have been treated for neuromas know, we work very hard to compensate for any hearing loss that might have resulted for us.  As I've said, the fact that I still have functional hearing after nearly 18 years is really a blessing!

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