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 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 loud environments is frequently an early sign of hearing loss. This indicates that having “normal” hearing doesn’t guarantee the capacity to comprehend speech effectively.
Speech comprehension is a complex cognitive task that demands considerable brainpower. Optimal hearing capabilities are necessary to distinguish voices in loud environments.
As hearing starts to go, the brain faces challenges in separating and processing speech signals amongst competing noises. As a result, settings like bustling offices or crowded restaurants become mentally exhausting.
How to recognize the early signs of hearing loss
Here are a few ways that early hearing loss can manifest:
- Difficulty understanding conversations in loud environments.
- Social isolation.
- The brain has to work overtime to comprehend speech leading to increased mental exhaustion.
Testing for hearing loss
Detecting such difficulties can be challenging, especially 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. The movement and dilation of your pupils can be tracked with these glasses. If your pupils behave in a particular way, it suggests that you’re concentrating a little harder than normal. So if this tends to happen in crowded or noisy areas, it could be an indication 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 potent sign that you’re having some hearing trouble if these signals change in a certain way when you’re in a crowded place.
These tests, in conjunction with personal observations, aim to identify hearing issues at their nascent stages, facilitating early intervention.
The Advantages of early detection
Discovering even slight hearing loss early has two substantial advantages.
- It offers clarity regarding difficulties faced in settings like open offices, mitigating potential aggravations.
- Cognitive decline associated with untreated hearing loss can be avoided with early detection.
If you’re experiencing difficulty following conversations in spite of “normal” hearing, consider getting a professional evaluation.
Total mental function and auditory health will be improved by early detection. Give us a call today and let us help you with any hearing loss you might have.