Your workplace recently adopted the trend of open-office floor plans, promoting cooperation and teamwork. But this new arrangement has become difficult for you. It’s because the elevated noise is making it challenging to follow along with conversation and not because you miss the privacy of cubical walls.
The inability to follow conversations in noisy environments frequently acts as an early indicator of hearing loss, in spite of conventional hearing tests yielding normal results. This indicates that having “normal” hearing doesn’t guarantee the capacity to comprehend speech effectively.
The complexity of speech perception
Speech comprehension is a complex mental process that involves significant brainpower. Differentiating speech from background noise and focusing on specific voices amongst a cacophony of sounds demands optimal hearing abilities.
It becomes increasingly challenging for the brain to isolate speech in loud settings as we get older. As a result, settings like bustling offices or crowded restaurants become mentally fatiguing.
How to recognize the early signs of hearing loss
Here are a few ways that early hearing loss can manifest:
- Social isolation.
- Increased mental fatigue as a result of heightened concentration required for listening.
- Trouble understanding conversations in loud environments.
Testing for hearing loss
Detecting such challenges can be tricky, especially when conventional diagnostics suggest normal hearing. However, researchers are looking into innovative tests to diagnose early signs of hearing loss:
- The Eye Test: For this test, you put on a special set 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 react in a particular way. But it may be a sign 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 difficulty if these signals change in a particular way when you’re in a crowded location.
These tests, in conjunction with personal observations, aim to detect hearing problems at their nascent stages, aiding early intervention.
The benefits of early detection
There are two important benefits to early detection.
- Dealing with hearing loss promptly prevents mental decline associated with neglected hearing impairments.
- It alleviates aggravation by providing clarity about the difficulties of being in settings like open office plans.
Consider finding help if you’re having trouble understanding speech even with “normal” hearing.
Early detection ensures timely intervention, enhancing total auditory health and cognitive function. Call us today and let us help you with any hearing loss you might have.