Your workplace recently embraced the trend of open-office floor plans, encouraging cooperation and teamwork. But this new setup 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 conventional hearing tests indicate completely fine hearing, the inability to hear conversations in noisy settings is often an early sign of hearing loss. This indicates that having “normal” hearing doesn’t guarantee the ability to comprehend speech effectively.
The complexity of speech perception
Speech comprehension is a complex mental task that demands significant brainpower. Distinguishing speech from background noise and focusing on particular voices amidst a cacophony of sounds requires optimal hearing capabilities.
It becomes increasingly demanding for the brain to isolate speech in loud settings as we get older. As a result, it becomes mentally fatiguing to be in loud settings like restaurants and bustling offices.
How to identify the early signs of hearing loss
Early signs of hearing loss manifest in various ways:
- Trouble understanding conversations in noisy environments.
- The brain has to work overtime to comprehend speech causing increased mental tiredness.
- Social isolation.
Testing for hearing loss
It can be especially difficult to detect these types of difficulties when standard hearing diagnostics seem to show normal hearing. Here are some tests being formulated by researchers to identify hearing loss in its early stages:
- The Eye Test: For this diagnostics, you put on a special set of glasses. These glasses can keep track of the movement and dilation of your pupils. If you’re concentrating a bit harder than normal your pupils will react in a particular way. 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: The electrical signal sent from your ears to your brain is tracked by an EEG in this test. If these signals fluctuate in a particular way while you’re in a crowded or loud environment, that could be a firm indication of some problems with your hearing.
Early intervention will be possible if these tests, coupled with personal observation, are able to identify hearing problems in their very early stages.
The Advantages of early detection
Detecting even slight hearing loss early offers two substantial advantages.
- Addressing hearing loss promptly prevents mental decline associated with untreated hearing impairments.
- It alleviates frustration by supplying clarity about the challenges of being in places like open office plans.
If you’re experiencing trouble following conversations in spite of “normal” hearing, consider getting a professional assessment.
Early diagnosis assures timely intervention, enhancing total auditory health and cognitive function. Call us today and let us help you with any hearing loss you may have.
