Your workplace recently adopted the trend of open-office floor plans, promoting cooperation and teamwork. However, you find yourself struggling in this new configuration. Not because you miss the privacy of cubicle walls, but because the increased noise makes it difficult to follow conversations.
Even if standard hearing tests indicate completely normal hearing, the inability to hear conversations in loud settings is often an early sign of hearing loss. You still may have trouble discerning conversations even with “Normal” hearing.
The complexity of speech perception
Substantial brain power is required to carry out the complex task of speech comprehension. Optimal hearing abilities are required to differentiate voices in noisy environments.
As hearing begins to decline, the brain faces difficulties in separating and processing speech signals amidst competing sounds. As a result, it becomes mentally exhausting to be in noisy environments like restaurants and bustling offices.
How to recognize the early signs of hearing loss
Here are a number of ways that early hearing loss can manifest:
- Distraction and reduced engagement in social interactions.
- Trouble understanding conversations in noisy environments.
- Increased mental fatigue due to heightened concentration needed for listening.
Hearing loss tests
Uncovering such difficulties can be challenging, particularly when conventional diagnostics indicate normal hearing. Here are a couple of tests being formulated by researchers to identify hearing loss in its early phases:
- The Eye Test: For this diagnostics, 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 normal your pupils will react in a particular way. So if this tends to occur 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 strong sign that you’re having some hearing difficulty if these signals change in a specific way when you’re in a crowded place.
Early intervention will be possible if these tests, coupled with personal observation, are able to detect hearing problems in their very early stages.
The benefits of early detection
Detecting even slight hearing loss early has two considerable advantages.
- It offers clarity with regard to challenges faced in environments like open offices, mitigating potential aggravations.
- Addressing hearing loss quickly prevents mental decline associated with untreated hearing impairments.
Think about finding help if you’re having trouble understanding speech even with “normal” hearing.
Early diagnosis ensures timely intervention, enhancing overall auditory health and mental function. Schedule a hearing exam today and investigate solutions right for you.
