Your workplace recently adopted the trend of open-office floor plans, encouraging cooperation and teamwork. However, you find yourself having difficulties in this new setup. It’s because the increased noise is making it difficult to follow along with conversation and not because you miss the privacy of cubical walls.
Even if conventional hearing tests indicate totally fine hearing, the inability to hear conversations in noisy environments is often 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 cognitive task that demands significant brainpower. Differentiating speech from background noise and focusing on specific voices amidst a cacophony of sounds demands optimal hearing capabilities.
It becomes increasingly challenging for the brain to isolate speech in noisy settings as we get older. Consequently, settings like bustling offices or crowded restaurants become mentally fatiguing.
Recognizing hearing loss when it’s in its early stages
Early indications of hearing loss manifest in a variety of ways:
- Increased mental exhaustion as a result of heightened concentration required for listening.
- Distraction and decreased engagement in social interactions.
- Difficulty understanding conversations in noisy environments.
Hearing loss assessments
Uncovering such difficulties can be tricky, especially when traditional diagnostics indicate normal hearing. However, scientists are exploring innovative tests to identify early signs of hearing loss:
- The Eye Test: For this diagnostics, you put on a special pair of glasses. The movement and dilation of your pupils can be monitored with these glasses. If you’re concentrating a bit harder than usual your pupils will behave in a specific way. But it could be an indication that you’re straining to hear if this happens in a noisy setting.
- Monitoring Electrical Signals: In this test, a device monitors the electrical EEG signals transmitted by your ears to your brain. It will be a potent sign that you’re having some hearing trouble if these signals fluctuate in a certain way when you’re in a crowded location.
Early intervention will be possible if these tests, coupled with personal observation, are able to detect hearing issues in their very early stages.
The benefits of early detection
There are two significant advantages to early detection.
- It offers clarity regarding difficulties faced in settings like open offices, mitigating potential aggravations.
- Dealing with hearing loss quickly prevents mental decline related to untreated hearing impairments.
Consider getting help if you’re having trouble understanding speech even with “normal” hearing.
Overall mental function and auditory health will be improved by early detection. Schedule a hearing exam today and explore solutions right for you.
