Your workplace has opted to promote teamwork and cooperation by opening up the office floor plan. However, you find yourself struggling in this new setup. It’s because the elevated noise is making it hard to follow along with conversation and not because you miss the privacy of cubical walls.
The inability to follow conversations in loud settings often serves as an early indicator of hearing loss, in spite of conventional hearing exams producing normal results. You still may have trouble discerning conversations even with “Normal” hearing.
The complexity of speech perception
Speech comprehension is a complex cognitive process that involves substantial brainpower. Differentiating speech from background noise and focusing on particular voices amongst a cacophony of sounds demands optimal hearing abilities.
As hearing starts to decline, the brain encounters difficulties in isolating and processing speech signals amidst competing noises. Because of this, it becomes mentally fatiguing to be in loud environments like restaurants and bustling offices.
Identifying hearing loss when it’s in its early stages
Here are a few ways that early hearing loss can manifest:
- Social isolation.
- Increased mental exhaustion due to heightened concentration needed for listening.
- Difficulty understanding conversations in loud environments.
Testing for hearing loss
It can be particularly hard to detect these kinds 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 phases:
- The Eye Test: For this test, you wear a special set of glasses. The movement and dilation of your pupils can be monitored with these glasses. If you’re concentrating a bit harder than usual your pupils will react in a specific way. But it could be a sign that you’re straining to hear if this happens 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 fluctuate in a particular way while you’re in a crowded or loud setting, that could be a firm indication of some problems with your hearing.
Early intervention will be possible if these tests, along with personal observation, are able to identify hearing issues in their very early stages.
The benefits of early detection
There are two significant benefits to early detection.
- Cognitive decline associated with untreated hearing loss can be avoided with early detection.
- It provides clarity with regard to challenges faced in environments like open offices, alleviating potential frustrations.
Consider getting help if you’re having trouble understanding speech even with “normal” hearing.
Early detection ensures timely intervention, enhancing total auditory health and cognitive function. Schedule a hearing test today and investigate options right for you.
