Your workplace has opted to promote teamwork and cooperation by opening up the office floor plan. However, you find yourself struggling in this new configuration. Not because you miss the privacy of cubicle walls, but because the increased noise makes it difficult to follow conversations.
Even if standard hearing tests indicate completely fine hearing, the inability to hear conversations in loud settings is often an early sign of hearing loss. This indicates that having “normal” hearing doesn’t guarantee the ability to comprehend speech effectively.
Speech comprehension is a complex cognitive process that demands considerable brainpower. Differentiating speech from background noise and focusing on particular voices amidst a cacophony of sounds requires optimal hearing capabilities.
As hearing begins to go, the brain faces challenges in isolating and processing speech signals amidst competing noises. As a result, settings like busy offices or crowded restaurants become mentally exhausting.
Recognizing hearing loss when it’s in its early stages
Here are a few ways that early hearing loss can manifest:
- Social isolation.
- Trouble understanding conversations in noisy environments.
- Increased mental exhaustion due to heightened concentration required for listening.
Hearing loss tests
It can be particularly difficult to identify these types of challenges when standard hearing diagnostics seem to reveal normal hearing. Here are a couple of tests being developed by scientists to diagnose hearing loss in its early stages:
- Monitoring Electrical Signals: The electrical signal transmitted from your ears to your brain is monitored by an EEG in this test. 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.
- The Eye Test: For this diagnostics, you wear a special pair of glasses. The movement and dilation of your pupils can be monitored with these glasses. If your pupils behave in a certain way, it suggests that you’re concentrating a little harder than usual. But it may be a sign that you’re straining to hear if this happens in a noisy setting.
These tests, coupled with personal observations, attempt to detect hearing issues at their nascent phases, aiding early intervention.
The Advantages of early detection
Discovering even slight hearing loss early offers two substantial advantages.
- Addressing hearing loss quickly prevents cognitive decline related to untreated hearing impairments.
- It offers clarity with regard to challenges faced in environments like open offices, mitigating potential frustrations.
If you’re experiencing difficulty following conversations despite “normal” hearing, consider finding a professional evaluation.
Early detection assures timely intervention, enhancing overall auditory health and cognitive function. Call us today and let us help you with any hearing loss you might have.
