Your workplace has opted to promote teamwork and collaboration by opening up the office floor plan. But this new setup has become a struggle 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, despite conventional hearing exams producing normal results. You still may have trouble discerning conversations even with “Normal” hearing.
The complexity of speech perception
Significant brain power is required to carry out the complex task of speech comprehension. Differentiating speech from background noise and focusing on specific voices amongst a cacophony of sounds demands optimal hearing capabilities.
As hearing begins to go, the brain faces difficulties in separating and processing speech signals amidst competing sounds. As a result, it becomes mentally fatiguing to be in noisy settings like restaurants and busy offices.
How to recognize the early signs of hearing loss
Here are a few ways that early hearing loss can manifest:
- The brain needs to work overtime to comprehend speech causing increased mental exhaustion.
- Social isolation.
- Trouble understanding conversations in loud environments.
Testing for hearing loss
Uncovering such difficulties can be tricky, especially when traditional diagnostics indicate normal hearing. However, scientists are exploring innovative tests to diagnose early stages of hearing loss:
- Monitoring Electrical Signals: The electrical signal sent from your ears to your brain is monitored by an EEG in this test. If these signals change in a certain way while you’re in a crowded or loud setting, that could be a strong indication of some problems with your hearing.
- The Eye Test: For this test, you put on a special set of glasses. These glasses can keep track of the movement and dilation of your pupils. If you’re concentrating a little harder than usual your pupils will react in a specific way. So if this tends to happen in crowded or loud areas, it could be an indication that you’re having to strain to hear.
Early intervention will be possible if these tests, coupled with personal observation, are able to detect hearing problems in their very early stages.
What are the benefits of early detection?
There are two important advantages to early detection.
- It alleviates frustration by supplying clarity about the challenges of being in places like open office plans.
- Mental decline associated with untreated hearing loss can be avoided with early detection.
Think about getting help if you’re having difficulty understanding speech even with “normal” hearing.
Early diagnosis ensures timely intervention, enhancing total auditory health and cognitive function. Call us today and let us help you with any hearing loss you may have.