Holidays are in full force, and with the joy of family and friends convivially convening comes the stress of struggling to hear these same people tell their stories against the sonic background of other talkers, music, and clinking of tableware. Listen to the effects of “hidden hearing loss” with a simulation by Dr. Laura Sinnott, Tuned’s Head of Devices.

It is difficult for all people to understand speech when the background is loud, however, for people with hearing loss it is extremely difficult. Furthermore, many people may be told by their audiologist that they do not have diagnosable hearing loss, but that doesn’t mean their auditory system is pristine. Many of us likely have “Hidden Hearing Loss.” The formal term is “cochlear synaptopathy.” Cochlear refers to the cochlea — or the coiled up, organ of hearing deep inside our inner ear. The cochlear contains about fifteen thousand sensory cells and each of these cells talks to (synapse with) numerous neurons or brain cells. Synaptopathy means these brain cells shrivel up and die.

Image by Brandon T. Paul, PhD

Age-related causes can cause these neurons to atrophy and die, and loud sound exposure can speed up the damaged neurons. When the neurons die, it doesn’t necessarily affect our ability to hear soft sounds, like leaves rustling, instead, it affects our ability to hear people talk at loud parties, in restaurants, overrunning water in the kitchen, etc. We call this “Hidden Hearing Loss” because there isn’t yet a great way to diagnose it.

My friend Richard Einhorn, a composer, producer and advocate for people with hearing loss, designed a simulation that brilliantly conveys the impact of how insanely difficult it is to parse out speech when you have hidden hearing loss. I took his idea and put it into a restaurant. Listen below to a server describing the daily special. First, you’ll hear what it might sound like to a person with truly normal hearing, and then to someone with hidden hearing loss.

*note — start your volume 1/2 to 2/3 of the way as the background gets loud

Normal hearing — no hidden hearing loss:

https://medium.com/media/5a4bb4e75ae300f837b51dc4d8596e5e/href

Hidden hearing loss:

https://medium.com/media/47fb11913ac3c550498282d3bfbe1f13/href

If you think you have hidden hearing loss, check out our holiday communication guide “Hear for the Holidays” for numerous, realistic strategies, or talk to an audiologist at Tuned. Tech like Live Listen and Otter.ai can help, but even strategic seating arrangements like sitting next to the quiet talker or away from the kitchen can help.

Advocate and educate! If your hearing is still fine but you observe someone struggling, attempt a conversation at a quieter part of the house. If dining out — go early before the festivities ramp up and converse with those who struggle to hear earlier in the night.

Either way, when the music takes over wherever you are, stop talking — it’s time to dance!