Your workplace recently embraced the trend of open-office floor plans, encouraging cooperation and teamwork. However, you find yourself having difficulties in this new setup. 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 totally fine hearing, the inability to hear conversations in loud environments is frequently an early sign of hearing loss. You still may have trouble discerning conversations even with “Normal” hearing.
Speech comprehension is a complex mental task that involves significant brainpower. Optimal hearing abilities are required to differentiate voices in noisy environments.
It becomes increasingly demanding for the brain to focus in on speech in loud settings as we get older. Because of this, it becomes mentally fatiguing to be in loud settings like restaurants and bustling offices.
How to recognize the early signs of hearing loss
Early indications of hearing loss manifest in a variety of ways:
- Increased mental fatigue as a result of heightened concentration needed for listening.
- Problems understanding conversations in noisy environments.
- Distraction and reduced engagement in social interactions.
Testing for hearing loss
Detecting such difficulties can be challenging, particularly when conventional diagnostics suggest normal hearing. Here are a couple of tests being developed by scientists to identify hearing loss in its early stages:
- The Eye Test: For this test, you wear a special pair of glasses. These glasses can keep track of the movement and dilation of your pupils. If your pupils behave in a particular way, it implies that you’re concentrating a bit harder than normal. So if this tends to happen in crowded or noisy areas, it could be an indication that you’re having to strain to hear.
- 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 particular way while you’re in a crowded or noisy environment, that could be a strong indication of some problems with your hearing.
These tests, in conjunction with personal observations, attempt to identify hearing problems at their emergent phases, facilitating early intervention.
The benefits of early detection
There are two important benefits to early detection.
- Cognitive decline associated with neglected hearing loss can be prevented with early detection.
- It alleviates frustration by supplying clarity about the difficulties of being in places like open office plans.
If you’re experiencing difficulty following conversations despite “normal” hearing, consider finding a professional assessment.
Overall mental function and auditory health will be improved by early diagnosis. Schedule a hearing exam today and look into solutions right for you.