Your workplace has decided to promote teamwork and collaboration by opening up the office floor plan. But this new arrangement has become challenging for you. Not because you miss the privacy of cubicle walls, but because the elevated noise makes it difficult to follow conversations.
Even if established hearing tests indicate completely fine hearing, the inability to hear conversations in noisy settings is frequently an early sign of hearing loss. You still may have trouble discerning conversations even with “Normal” hearing.
The complexity of speech perception
Considerable brain power is needed to undertake the complex task of speech comprehension. Differentiating speech from background noise and focusing on specific voices amidst a cacophony of sounds requires optimal hearing abilities.
As hearing starts to decline, the brain encounters challenges in separating and processing speech signals amidst competing sounds. As a result, settings like bustling offices or crowded restaurants become mentally exhausting.
How to recognize the early signs of hearing loss
Early indications of hearing loss manifest in various ways:
- When in loud settings, conversations are hard to understand.
- Distraction and decreased engagement in social interactions.
- The brain needs to work extra hard to comprehend speech causing increased mental exhaustion.
Hearing loss examinations
Uncovering such challenges can be challenging, especially when conventional diagnostics suggest normal hearing. Here are some tests being developed by scientists to identify hearing loss in its early phases:
- The Eye Test: A special pair of glasses is utilized in this test. The movement and dilation of your pupils can be tracked with these glasses. If you’re concentrating a bit harder than normal your pupils will behave in a specific way. But it could be a sign that you’re straining to hear if this happens in a noisy setting.
- 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 difficulty if these signals change in a particular way when you’re in a crowded place.
Early intervention will be possible if these tests, along with personal observation, are able to detect hearing problems in their very early stages.
What are the benefits of early detection?
Detecting even minor hearing loss early offers two substantial advantages.
- Cognitive decline associated with neglected hearing loss can be avoided with early detection.
- It provides clarity regarding difficulties faced in environments like open offices, mitigating potential frustrations.
If you’re experiencing trouble following conversations in spite of “normal” hearing, consider getting a professional evaluation.
Overall cognitive function and auditory health will be improved by early diagnosis. Schedule a hearing test today and explore options right for you.
