Your workplace has decided to encourage teamwork and cooperation by opening up the office floor plan. But this new arrangement has become difficult for you. It’s because the increased noise is making it challenging to follow along with conversation and not because you miss the privacy of cubical walls.
The inability to follow along with conversations in loud settings often serves as an early indicator of hearing loss, in spite of conventional hearing tests yielding normal results. You still may have trouble discerning conversations even with “Normal” hearing.
Speech comprehension is a complex mental process that demands significant brainpower. Differentiating speech from background noise and focusing on particular voices amongst a cacophony of sounds demands optimal hearing capabilities.
As hearing begins to go, the brain faces difficulties in separating and processing speech signals amidst competing noises. As a result, it becomes mentally exhausting to be in loud environments like restaurants and busy offices.
Recognizing hearing loss when it’s in its early stages
Here are a number of ways that early hearing loss can manifest:
- Increased mental exhaustion due to heightened concentration needed for listening.
- Social isolation.
- Problems understanding conversations in loud environments.
Testing for hearing loss
It can be particularly difficult to detect these types of challenges when standard hearing diagnostics appear to show normal hearing. However, researchers are exploring innovative tests to diagnose early stages of hearing loss:
- The Eye Test: A special pair of glasses is utilized in this test. These glasses can monitor the movement and dilation of your pupils. If you’re concentrating a little harder than normal your pupils will react in a particular way. But it could be a sign that you’re straining to hear if this occurs in a loud setting.
- Monitoring Electrical Signals: In this test, a device monitors the electrical EEG signals transmitted by your ears to your brain. It will be a strong sign that you’re having some hearing trouble if these signals fluctuate in a specific way when you’re in a crowded place.
Early intervention will be possible if these tests, combined with personal observation, are able to identify hearing issues in their very early stages.
What are the advantages of early detection?
There are two significant benefits to early detection.
- Addressing hearing loss promptly prevents mental decline associated with untreated hearing impairments.
- It reduces aggravation by supplying clarity about the difficulties of being in settings like open office plans.
Consider getting help if you’re having difficulty understanding speech even with “normal” hearing.
Early diagnosis assures timely intervention, enhancing overall auditory health and mental function. Contact us today and let us help you with any hearing loss you may have.