Your workplace recently embraced the trend of open-office floor plans, encouraging cooperation and teamwork. But this new arrangement has become a struggle for you. It’s because the elevated noise is making it hard to follow along with conversation and not because you miss the privacy of cubical walls.
Even if established hearing tests indicate perfectly normal hearing, the inability to hear conversations in loud settings is frequently an early sign of hearing loss. This suggests that having “normal” hearing doesn’t guarantee the ability to comprehend speech effectively.
Speech comprehension is a complex mental process that involves substantial brainpower. Distinguishing speech from background noise and focusing on specific voices amidst a cacophony of sounds requires optimal hearing abilities.
As hearing begins to go, the brain encounters challenges in isolating and processing speech signals amongst competing sounds. As a result, it becomes mentally fatiguing to be in loud settings like restaurants and bustling offices.
How to recognize the early signs of hearing loss
Here are a number of ways that early hearing loss can manifest:
- The brain has to work overtime to comprehend speech leading to increased mental tiredness.
- When in loud settings, conversations are hard to make out.
- Distraction and decreased engagement in social interactions.
Hearing loss tests
Detecting such difficulties can be challenging, especially when conventional diagnostics suggest normal hearing. Here are a couple of tests being formulated by researchers to diagnose hearing loss in its early phases:
- Monitoring Electrical Signals: The electrical signal transmitted from your ears to your brain is tracked by an EEG in this test. If these signals fluctuate in a specific way while you’re in a crowded or noisy environment, that could be a firm indication of some problems with your hearing.
- The Eye Test: For this test, you put on a special pair of glasses. The movement and dilation of your pupils can be tracked with these glasses. If your pupils behave in a particular way, it implies that you’re concentrating a little harder than normal. But it may be a sign that you’re straining to hear if this occurs in a loud setting.
These tests, coupled with personal observations, aim to identify hearing issues at their emergent phases, facilitating early intervention.
What are the advantages of early detection?
Discovering even slight hearing loss early provides two substantial advantages.
- It offers clarity regarding challenges faced in settings like open offices, mitigating potential frustrations.
- Addressing hearing loss quickly prevents cognitive decline related to neglected hearing impairments.
Think about getting help if you’re having difficulty understanding speech even with “normal” hearing.
Early diagnosis ensures timely intervention, enhancing overall auditory health and cognitive function. Contact us today and let us help you with any hearing loss you might have.