Hidden hearing loss is a type of hearing loss that cannot be measured by a traditional hearing test (also called a “pure tone” hearing test). It is characterized by patients reporting having difficulty hearing, but receiving normal results on a pure tone hearing test. Hidden hearing loss is still a new concept, and much research still needs to be done, but what we do know is valuable and helpful in getting hearing loss patients the help they need.
How Hearing Works
Our ability to hear is a multi-step process, starting when a sound enters our ears and ending at the brain’s auditory processing center. A sound wave goes up your ear canal and into the inner ear, where the hair-like sensory cells of the cochlea translate those sound waves into electrical signals. Those electrical signals then travel up the auditory nerve into the auditory complex, a part of the temporal lobe in the deep brain.
Typical Hearing Loss vs Hidden Hearing Loss
When you have hearing loss, sound information gets lost or mistranslated somewhere along this journey to the auditory complex. With typical hearing loss, that usually means that there’s an obstruction in the ear that prevents sound waves from reaching the inner ear, or the sensory cells inside the cochlea are damaged and can no longer transmit electrical signals up the auditory nerve.
In hidden hearing loss, your ear and the organs within your ear function reasonably well, and instead, it is the auditory nerve or the auditory complex that struggles with the sound information. The difficulty with hidden hearing loss is comprehension and understanding, rather than physical hearing ability. This means that a traditional hearing test will return “normal” results, as your ear was able to detect pitch with no issue.
Signs You May Have Hidden Hearing Loss
Since the term “hidden hearing loss” is still relatively new, there is no established set of symptoms that reliably indicate it. That said, here are some loose guidelines to look out for:
- Feeling like you have hearing loss, but your hearing test results came back normal
- Getting easily distracted by background noise or in noisy settings
- Misunderstanding speech frequently
- Struggling to follow a conversation
- Frustration or fatigue after a long conversation or listening period
Testing for Hidden Hearing Loss
We’ve discussed how hidden hearing loss is not easily detectable by traditional hearing tests, so you may be wondering: how can I find out if I have hidden hearing loss?
A specific type of hearing test, known as speech testing, can help detect hidden hearing loss. This test simulates real-life listening scenarios and assesses both listening comprehension and hearing ability. In a speech test, you’ll be given a pair of headphones and sit in a soundproof room. The headphones will play audio of speech and conversation with varying levels of background noise behind it. You’ll then be asked to repeat what was said in the audio.
If you want to learn more about speech testing and get tested for hidden hearing loss, contact San Diego ENT. We would be happy to provide more information and schedule an appointment with you.