Your workplace has decided to encourage 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 challenging to follow along with conversation and not because you miss the privacy of cubical walls.
Even if standard hearing tests indicate perfectly fine hearing, the inability to hear conversations in loud settings is frequently an early sign of hearing loss. 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 recognition. Distinguishing speech from background noise and focusing on particular voices amongst a cacophony of sounds requires optimal hearing capabilities.
As hearing starts to decline, the brain encounters challenges in isolating and processing speech signals amidst competing sounds. Because of this, it becomes mentally exhausting to be in loud environments like restaurants and busy offices.
How to recognize the early signs of hearing loss
Here are a number of ways that early hearing loss can manifest:
- Increased mental fatigue as a result of heightened concentration needed for listening.
- When in noisy settings, conversations are hard to make out.
- Social isolation.
Testing for hearing loss
Uncovering such difficulties can be challenging, particularly when traditional diagnostics indicate normal hearing. However, researchers are exploring innovative tests to identify early stages of hearing loss:
- The Eye Test: A special set of glasses is utilized in this test. These glasses can monitor the movement and dilation of your pupils. If your pupils react in a specific way, it implies that you’re concentrating a little harder than usual. But it may be a sign that you’re straining to hear if this occurs in a loud setting.
- 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 difficulty if these signals change in a certain way when you’re in a crowded location.
Early intervention will be possible if these tests, coupled with personal observation, are able to identify hearing issues in their very early stages.
The benefits of early detection
There are two important benefits to early detection.
- It reduces aggravation by supplying clarity about the difficulties of being in places like open office plans.
- Cognitive decline associated with untreated hearing loss can be avoided with early detection.
If you’re experiencing trouble following conversations despite “normal” hearing, consider seeking a professional assessment.
Early diagnosis ensures timely intervention, enhancing overall auditory health and mental function. Schedule a hearing test today and look into options right for you.
