Your workplace has decided to promote teamwork and cooperation by opening up the office floor plan. However, you find yourself having difficulties in this new setup. 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.
Even if standard hearing tests indicate completely fine hearing, the inability to hear conversations in noisy settings is frequently an early sign of hearing loss. This suggests that having “normal” hearing doesn’t guarantee the ability to comprehend speech effectively.
Substantial brain power is required to carry out the complex task of speech recognition. Optimal hearing abilities are required to distinguish voices in noisy environments.
As hearing starts to go, the brain faces challenges in separating and processing speech signals amidst competing noises. As a result, it becomes mentally fatiguing to be in noisy environments like restaurants and busy offices.
How to recognize the early signs of hearing loss
Early indications of hearing loss manifest in various ways:
- The brain has to work extra hard to comprehend speech causing increased mental exhaustion.
- Social isolation.
- Difficulty understanding conversations in loud environments.
Testing for hearing loss
Uncovering such challenges can be tricky, especially when conventional diagnostics indicate normal hearing. However, scientists are looking at innovative tests to diagnose early stages 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 little harder than normal your pupils will behave in a specific way. So if this tends to happen in crowded or loud areas, it could be a sign that you’re having to strain to hear.
- Monitoring Electrical Signals: In this test, a device tracks the electrical EEG signals transmitted by your ears to your brain. It will be a strong sign that you’re having some hearing trouble if these signals change in a specific way when you’re in a crowded location.
These tests, in conjunction with personal observations, aim to identify hearing issues at their emergent stages, facilitating early intervention.
What are the benefits of early detection?
There are two significant benefits to early detection.
- It provides clarity with regard to difficulties faced in settings like open offices, alleviating potential aggravations.
- Cognitive decline related to neglected hearing loss can be prevented with early detection.
Consider getting help if you’re having trouble understanding speech even with “normal” hearing.
Total mental function and auditory health will be improved by early diagnosis. Schedule a hearing exam today and look into solutions right for you.