Your workplace has opted to encourage teamwork and cooperation by opening up the office floor plan. However, you find yourself having difficulties 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 totally normal hearing, the inability to hear conversations in noisy environments is often an early sign of hearing loss. This indicates that having “normal” hearing doesn’t guarantee the capacity to comprehend speech effectively.
Speech comprehension is a complex cognitive process that demands considerable brainpower. Distinguishing speech from background noise and focusing on specific voices amongst a cacophony of sounds requires optimal hearing capabilities.
As hearing begins to decline, the brain encounters challenges in separating and processing speech signals amidst competing sounds. As a result, it becomes mentally exhausting to be in noisy environments like restaurants and busy offices.
Identifying hearing loss when it’s in its early phases
Here are a few ways that early hearing loss can manifest:
- When in loud settings, conversations are difficult to make out.
- Increased mental fatigue due to heightened concentration needed for listening.
- Distraction and decreased engagement in social interactions.
Hearing loss assessments
Detecting such challenges can be tricky, particularly when conventional diagnostics indicate normal hearing. Here are some tests being formulated by scientists to identify hearing loss in its early stages:
- Monitoring Electrical Signals: The electrical signal sent 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 trouble if these signals change in a certain way when you’re in a crowded place.
- The Eye Test: For this test, you put on a special pair of glasses. These glasses can keep track of the movement and dilation of your pupils. If you’re concentrating a bit harder than usual your pupils will react in a particular way. But it could be an indication that you’re straining to hear if this occurs in a noisy setting.
These tests, coupled with personal observations, aim to identify hearing problems at their nascent phases, aiding early intervention.
The benefits of early detection
Detecting even slight hearing loss early has two considerable advantages.
- It alleviates aggravation by providing clarity about the challenges of being in settings like open office plans.
- Dealing with hearing loss quickly prevents cognitive decline associated with neglected hearing impairments.
Think about finding help if you’re having trouble understanding speech even with “normal” hearing.
Overall mental function and auditory health will be improved by early detection. Call us today and let us help you with any hearing loss you might have.