Your workplace recently adopted the trend of open-office floor plans, promoting cooperation and teamwork. But this new setup has become challenging for you. 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.
The inability to follow along with conversations in noisy settings often acts as an early indicator of hearing loss, despite conventional hearing tests yielding normal results. You still may have trouble discerning conversations even with “Normal” hearing.
The complexity of speech perception
Speech comprehension is a complex mental process that demands substantial brainpower. Optimal hearing abilities are necessary to distinguish voices in loud environments.
As hearing begins to go, the brain encounters difficulties in isolating and processing speech signals amongst competing noises. Because of this, it becomes mentally fatiguing to be in noisy settings like restaurants and busy offices.
Recognizing hearing loss when it’s in its early phases
Here are a number of ways that early hearing loss can manifest:
- Distraction and reduced engagement in social interactions.
- Difficulty understanding conversations in noisy environments.
- Increased mental fatigue due to heightened concentration needed for listening.
Testing for hearing loss
Detecting such challenges can be challenging, particularly when conventional diagnostics suggest normal hearing. Here are a couple of tests being developed by scientists to diagnose hearing loss in its early phases:
- The Eye Test: A special set of glasses is used in this test. These glasses can keep track of the movement and dilation of your pupils. If your pupils react in a specific way, it implies that you’re concentrating a little harder than usual. So if this tends to happen in crowded or noisy areas, it could be a sign that you’re having to strain to hear.
- Monitoring Electrical Signals: The electrical signal sent from your ears to your brain is tracked by an EEG in this test. 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.
Early intervention will be possible if these tests, combined 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 challenges faced in settings like open offices, alleviating potential frustrations.
- Mental decline related to untreated hearing loss can be avoided with early detection.
Think about finding help if you’re having difficulty understanding speech even with “normal” hearing.
Early detection ensures timely intervention, enhancing overall auditory health and mental function. Schedule a hearing test today and look into options right for you.