Your workplace recently adopted the trend of open-office floor plans, promoting collaboration and teamwork. But this new arrangement has become difficult for you. Not because you miss the privacy of cubicle walls, but because the increased noise makes it hard to follow conversations.
The inability to follow conversations in loud settings frequently acts as an early indicator of hearing loss, in spite of conventional hearing exams yielding normal outcomes. You still may have trouble discerning conversations even with “Normal” hearing.
Speech comprehension is a complex cognitive task that involves considerable brainpower. Differentiating speech from background noise and focusing on particular voices amongst a cacophony of sounds requires optimal hearing abilities.
It becomes increasingly demanding for the brain to focus in on speech in noisy settings as we get older. As a result, settings like busy offices or crowded restaurants become mentally fatiguing.
How to identify the early signs of hearing loss
Early signs of hearing loss manifest in various ways:
- Increased mental fatigue due to heightened concentration needed for listening.
- Trouble understanding conversations in loud environments.
- Social isolation.
Hearing loss tests
It can be particularly difficult to identify these types of difficulties when traditional hearing diagnostics seem to show normal hearing. Here are a couple of tests being developed by scientists to identify hearing loss in its early stages:
- Monitoring Electrical Signals: The electrical signal transmitted from your ears to your brain is monitored by an EEG in this test. 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.
- The Eye Test: A special pair of glasses is utilized in this test. The movement and dilation of your pupils can be tracked with these glasses. If your pupils react in a specific way, it implies that you’re concentrating a little harder than normal. But it may be a sign that you’re straining to hear if this occurs in a noisy setting.
These tests, coupled with personal observations, attempt to detect hearing issues at their nascent phases, aiding early intervention.
The benefits of early detection
There are two significant advantages to early detection.
- It alleviates aggravation by providing clarity about the difficulties of being in places like open office plans.
- Dealing with hearing loss promptly prevents cognitive decline related to untreated hearing impairments.
Think about finding help if you’re having trouble understanding speech even with “normal” hearing.
Early diagnosis assures timely intervention, enhancing total auditory health and mental function. Schedule a hearing exam today and look into solutions right for you.