Your workplace has opted to promote teamwork and cooperation by opening up the office floor plan. But this new setup has become challenging for you. It’s because the elevated noise is making it difficult to follow along with conversation and not because you miss the privacy of cubical walls.
The inability to follow conversations in loud settings 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 ability to comprehend speech effectively.
The complexity of speech perception
Substantial brain power is required to carry out the complex task of speech comprehension. Distinguishing speech from background noise and focusing on specific voices amongst a cacophony of sounds requires optimal hearing abilities.
It becomes increasingly demanding for the brain to isolate speech in loud settings as we get older. As a result, it becomes mentally exhausting to be in loud settings like restaurants and bustling offices.
How to identify the early signs of hearing loss
Early indications of hearing loss manifest in a variety of ways:
- Distraction and decreased engagement in social interactions.
- When in loud settings, conversations are hard to make out.
- Increased mental exhaustion as a result of heightened concentration required for listening.
Hearing loss tests
It can be especially difficult to identify these types of difficulties when standard hearing diagnostics appear to show normal hearing. Here are some tests being formulated by researchers to diagnose hearing loss in its early stages:
- Monitoring Electrical Signals: The electrical signal sent from your ears to your brain is monitored by an EEG in this test. If these signals change in a particular way while you’re in a crowded or loud environment, that could be a strong indication of some problems with your hearing.
- The Eye Test: A special pair of glasses is used in this test. The movement and dilation of your pupils can be monitored with these glasses. If your pupils behave in a specific way, it implies that you’re concentrating a bit harder than usual. So if this tends to happen in crowded or loud areas, it could be a sign that you’re having to strain to hear.
Early intervention will be possible if these tests, combined with personal observation, are able to identify hearing problems in their very early stages.
What are the advantages of early detection?
Discovering even slight hearing loss early has two considerable advantages.
- It alleviates aggravation by supplying clarity about the difficulties of being in settings like open office plans.
- Cognitive decline associated with neglected hearing loss can be avoided with early detection.
Consider finding help if you’re having difficulty understanding speech even with “normal” hearing.
Early detection ensures timely intervention, enhancing total auditory health and mental function. Schedule a hearing exam today and look into options right for you.
