Your workplace recently embraced the trend of open-office floor plans, promoting 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 hard to follow conversations.
The inability to follow along with conversations in loud environments often serves as an early indicator of hearing loss, in spite of conventional hearing exams producing normal results. This suggests that having “normal” hearing doesn’t guarantee the capacity to comprehend speech effectively.
Speech comprehension is a complex mental process that requires considerable brainpower. Distinguishing speech from background noise and focusing on specific voices amidst a cacophony of sounds requires optimal hearing abilities.
It becomes increasingly challenging for the brain to focus in on speech in noisy settings as we get older. Consequently, settings like bustling offices or crowded restaurants become mentally exhausting.
How to identify the early signs of hearing loss
Here are a few ways that early hearing loss can manifest:
- Distraction and reduced engagement in social interactions.
- Problems understanding conversations in noisy environments.
- Increased mental exhaustion as a result of heightened concentration required for listening.
Testing for hearing loss
Detecting such challenges can be tricky, particularly when conventional diagnostics indicate normal hearing. Here are a couple of tests being formulated by researchers to identify hearing loss in its early stages:
- The Eye Test: For this diagnostics, you wear a special set of glasses. These glasses can monitor the movement and dilation of your pupils. If you’re concentrating a bit harder than usual your pupils will react in a particular way. But it may be an indication that you’re straining to hear if this occurs in a loud setting.
- Monitoring Electrical Signals: The electrical signal sent from your ears to your brain is tracked by an EEG in this test. If these signals change in a certain way while you’re in a crowded or noisy setting, that could be a strong indication of some problems with your hearing.
Early intervention will be possible if these tests, along with personal observation, are able to identify hearing problems in their very early stages.
The Advantages of early detection
Discovering even minor hearing loss early offers two considerable advantages.
- Dealing with hearing loss quickly prevents mental decline related to untreated hearing impairments.
- It alleviates frustration by supplying clarity about the difficulties of being in settings like open office plans.
Consider finding help if you’re having trouble understanding speech even with “normal” hearing.
Early detection assures timely intervention, enhancing overall auditory health and cognitive function. Schedule a hearing test today and look into solutions right for you.