Your workplace recently embraced the trend of open-office floor plans, promoting cooperation and teamwork. But this new arrangement has become difficult for you. Not because you miss the privacy of cubicle walls, but because the elevated noise makes it hard to follow conversations.
The inability to follow conversations in noisy settings frequently serves as an early indicator of hearing loss, despite conventional hearing exams yielding normal results. This suggests that having “normal” hearing doesn’t guarantee the ability to comprehend speech effectively.
Considerable brain power is required to tackle the complex task of speech recognition. Distinguishing speech from background noise and focusing on particular voices amidst a cacophony of sounds demands optimal hearing abilities.
It becomes increasingly demanding for the brain to isolate speech in loud settings as we get older. Consequently, settings like busy offices or crowded restaurants become mentally exhausting.
Identifying hearing loss when it’s in its early phases
Here are a few ways that early hearing loss can manifest:
- Social isolation.
- Increased mental fatigue as a result of heightened concentration required for listening.
- When in loud settings, conversations are difficult to make out.
Hearing loss examinations
It can be especially difficult to detect these types of challenges when standard hearing diagnostics appear to reveal normal hearing. Here are some tests being formulated by researchers to diagnose hearing loss in its early phases:
- 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 strong sign that you’re having some hearing difficulty if these signals fluctuate in a certain way when you’re in a crowded place.
- The Eye Test: For this diagnostics, you put on a special set of glasses. These glasses can track the movement and dilation of your pupils. If you’re concentrating a bit harder than usual your pupils will behave in a specific way. So if this tends to happen in crowded or noisy areas, it could be a sign that you’re having to strain to hear.
Early intervention will be possible if these tests, coupled with personal observation, are able to identify hearing problems in their very early stages.
The benefits of early detection
Discovering even minor hearing loss early provides two considerable advantages.
- Addressing hearing loss promptly prevents cognitive decline associated with untreated hearing impairments.
- It offers clarity with regard to challenges faced in environments like open offices, mitigating potential aggravations.
Think about getting help if you’re having trouble understanding speech even with “normal” hearing.
Early detection ensures timely intervention, enhancing overall auditory health and mental function. Call us today and let us help you with any hearing loss you may have.