Your workplace recently adopted the trend of open-office floor plans, encouraging collaboration and teamwork. But this new setup has become a struggle for you. It’s because the elevated noise is making it challenging to follow along with conversation and not because you miss the privacy of cubical walls.
The inability to follow conversations in loud environments frequently acts as an early indicator of hearing loss, despite conventional hearing exams producing normal outcomes. You still may have trouble discerning conversations even with “Normal” hearing.
Speech comprehension is a complex cognitive process that involves significant brainpower. Distinguishing speech from background noise and focusing on specific voices amongst a cacophony of sounds demands optimal hearing capabilities.
As hearing starts to decline, the brain encounters challenges in separating and processing speech signals amidst competing noises. Because of this, it becomes mentally fatiguing to be in loud settings like restaurants and busy offices.
Recognizing hearing loss when it’s in its early phases
Early indications of hearing loss manifest in a variety of ways:
- Social isolation.
- When in loud settings, conversations are hard to make out.
- Increased mental fatigue due to heightened concentration required for listening.
Hearing loss assessments
Uncovering such difficulties can be challenging, particularly when conventional diagnostics suggest normal hearing. However, scientists are exploring innovative tests to identify early stages of hearing loss:
- The Eye Test: A special pair of glasses is utilized in this test. These glasses can keep track of the movement and dilation of your pupils. If your pupils react in a particular way, it suggests that you’re concentrating a bit harder than usual. 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: The electrical signal transmitted from your ears to your brain is monitored by an EEG in this test. It will be a potent sign that you’re having some hearing trouble if these signals change in a particular 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 problems in their very early stages.
The Advantages of early detection
There are two important benefits to early detection.
- Mental decline related to neglected hearing loss can be avoided with early detection.
- It alleviates frustration by providing clarity about the challenges of being in places like open office plans.
If you’re experiencing difficulty following conversations in spite of “normal” hearing, consider finding a professional assessment.
Total cognitive function and auditory health will be improved by early detection. Schedule a hearing exam today and explore solutions right for you.