Your workplace recently adopted the trend of open-office floor plans, promoting cooperation and teamwork. However, you find yourself having difficulties in this new setup. Not because you miss the privacy of cubicle walls, but because the elevated noise makes it hard to follow conversations.
The inability to follow along with conversations in noisy settings often serves as an early indicator of hearing loss, despite conventional hearing exams yielding normal outcomes. This indicates that having “normal” hearing doesn’t guarantee the ability to comprehend speech effectively.
Significant brain power is required to undertake the complex task of speech recognition. Optimal hearing capabilities are necessary to distinguish voices in loud environments.
It becomes increasingly challenging for the brain to isolate speech in loud settings as we get older. Consequently, settings like bustling offices or crowded restaurants become mentally exhausting.
How to identify the early signs of hearing loss
Here are a number of ways that early hearing loss can manifest:
- Difficulty understanding conversations in loud environments.
- Increased mental fatigue as a result of heightened concentration required for listening.
- Distraction and decreased engagement in social interactions.
Hearing loss assessments
It can be especially hard to identify these kinds of challenges when traditional hearing diagnostics seem to reveal normal hearing. Here are a couple of tests being developed by researchers to diagnose hearing loss in its early stages:
- The Eye Test: For this diagnostics, you wear a special pair of glasses. These glasses can track the movement and dilation of your pupils. If you’re concentrating a bit harder than normal your pupils will behave in a specific way. So if this tends to occur in crowded or loud areas, it could be a sign that you’re having to strain to hear.
- Monitoring Electrical Signals: In this test, a device tracks the electrical EEG signals transmitted 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 particular way when you’re in a crowded location.
Early intervention will be possible if these tests, combined with personal observation, are able to identify hearing issues in their very early stages.
What are the benefits of early detection?
Detecting even minor hearing loss early has two substantial advantages.
- It reduces frustration by supplying clarity about the difficulties of being in places like open office plans.
- Dealing with hearing loss promptly prevents cognitive decline related to neglected hearing impairments.
If you’re experiencing trouble following conversations despite “normal” hearing, think about seeking a professional assessment.
Early diagnosis ensures timely intervention, enhancing total auditory health and cognitive function. Schedule a hearing test today and look into solutions right for you.
