Your workplace recently adopted the trend of open-office floor plans, encouraging cooperation and teamwork. But this new setup has become difficult 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 totally fine hearing, the inability to hear conversations in noisy settings is often an early sign of hearing loss. This suggests that having “normal” hearing doesn’t guarantee the capacity to comprehend speech effectively.
Speech comprehension is a complex mental process that demands substantial brainpower. Optimal hearing capabilities are necessary to distinguish voices in loud environments.
It becomes increasingly challenging for the brain to focus in on speech in noisy settings as we get older. As a result, it becomes mentally exhausting to be in noisy environments like restaurants and busy offices.
How to identify the early signs of hearing loss
Early signs of hearing loss manifest in various ways:
- Increased mental fatigue as a result of heightened concentration needed for listening.
- When in noisy settings, conversations are hard to make out.
- Distraction and reduced engagement in social interactions.
Testing for hearing loss
It can be especially hard to detect these kinds of challenges when standard hearing diagnostics appear to reveal normal hearing. Here are a couple of tests being developed by scientists to identify hearing loss in its early phases:
- Monitoring Electrical Signals: In this test, a device monitors 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.
- The Eye Test: For this test, you wear a special pair of glasses. These glasses can track the movement and dilation of your pupils. If you’re concentrating a bit harder than usual your pupils will behave in a particular way. So if this tends to occur 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 detect hearing problems in their very early stages.
What are the advantages of early detection?
There are two significant advantages to early detection.
- It offers clarity regarding difficulties faced in environments like open offices, mitigating potential aggravations.
- Dealing with hearing loss promptly prevents mental decline related to untreated hearing impairments.
Think about finding help if you’re having trouble understanding speech even with “normal” hearing.
Early diagnosis ensures timely intervention, enhancing overall auditory health and mental function. Schedule a hearing exam today and explore solutions right for you.