Your workplace recently adopted the trend of open-office floor plans, promoting cooperation and teamwork. But this new arrangement has become challenging for you. It’s because the increased noise is making it hard to follow along with conversation and not because you miss the privacy of cubical walls.
The inability to follow along with conversations in loud environments frequently acts 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 ability to comprehend speech effectively.
Substantial brain power is required to tackle the complex task of speech recognition. Differentiating speech from background noise and focusing on specific voices amidst a cacophony of sounds requires optimal hearing capabilities.
As hearing begins to decline, the brain faces difficulties in isolating and processing speech signals amidst competing noises. As a result, 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:
- Increased mental exhaustion as a result of heightened concentration needed for listening.
- Trouble understanding conversations in noisy environments.
- Social isolation.
Hearing loss assessments
It can be particularly difficult to detect these kinds of challenges when traditional hearing diagnostics appear to show normal hearing. Here are some tests being formulated by researchers to identify hearing loss in its early phases:
- Monitoring Electrical Signals: In this test, a device monitors the electrical EEG signals sent by your ears to your brain. It will be a potent sign that you’re having some hearing trouble if these signals change in a certain way when you’re in a crowded place.
- The Eye Test: A special set of glasses is utilized in this test. These glasses can track the movement and dilation of your pupils. If you’re concentrating a bit harder than usual 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.
These tests, coupled with personal observations, aim to detect hearing issues at their nascent phases, facilitating early intervention.
The benefits of early detection
There are two important advantages to early detection.
- It reduces frustration by providing clarity about the challenges of being in settings like open office plans.
- Addressing hearing loss quickly prevents cognitive decline associated with neglected hearing impairments.
Consider finding help if you’re having difficulty understanding speech even with “normal” hearing.
Total cognitive function and auditory health will be improved by early diagnosis. Call us today and let us help you with any hearing loss you may have.