Why Can’t You Hear People Very Well With Mild Background Noise?

When you are dealing with difficulties hearing, you might first only notice when other people tell you that you can’t hear them. Imagine being in a crowded cafe with friends, and the more they talk to you, the less you seem to hear. The noise around you in conversation, the sounds of cutlery hitting plates and dishes and the movement of customers and cash registers all contribute to background noise.

When you have hearing loss, background noise becomes a struggle to hear through. If you have noticed this as something that’s happening to you regularly, the best thing that you can do is seek the help of a professional audiologist. Not only can they talk you through the solutions to help you to hear, but they can also ensure that you understand why your hearing has changed.

Difficulty hearing and understanding speech in a lot of noise is actually one of the biggest signs of hearing loss. It can cause a lot of frustration and for some, it’s embarrassing to try and have a conversation in a place where you are clouded by the noise of others. There are some situations where not being able to hear in a crowded space is a big problem, such as at work or even while getting a haircut.

You might not be able to hear someone ask you what you want, and then you end up agreeing to things that you didn’t want! It’s not ideal and it’s an interruption to your quality of life.

As we get older, it’s easy for hearing to diminish and it’s the loss of hearing in a crowded place that happens first for most people. It ends with people becoming frustrated and embarrassed to go out in public, with a feeling of isolation growing. The good news is that with the help of an audiologist and hearing tests, you can determine the reason for your hearing loss and gain some peace of mind with the right treatment.

What Causes a Loss of Hearing in a Crowded Place? 

There are different types of hearing loss and the hearing loss that causes you to not pick up softer speech sounds in a crowded place is because of the brain being unable to translate sound into speech. This is due to the tiny hair cells in the ears becoming thinner and damaged over time.

It reduces your ability to hear over time and filtering out the background noise becomes far too hard. Our brains usually fill the gaps for us when we can’t hear something, so it can take a few moments to understand what’s being said. However, background noise is often at a lower frequency, which the brain just doesn’t pick up properly. 

The signal to noise ratio is the gap between the speech and the noise in the background. Those with perfect hearing are able to deal with a lower frequency signal to noise ratio. This means that if you are dealing with hearing loss, you are going to need a higher signal to noise ratio to be able to hear better. You need clarity in your hearing and that comes with speaking to your audiologist. They will be able to talk you through everything you need for your hearing loss to be supported and supported well. 

How Your Audiologist Can Help You

If you are finding it difficult to hear with background noise around you, then the chances are that you are having some difficulties with signal to noise ratio hearing loss. Hearing aids can really help you with this, and you can then determine the difference between speech and noise, separating the two so that speech can be better amplified. The noise is then suppressed, which enables you to hear better.

Your audiologist can test your hearing to see whether you can hear at certain levels or not and a part of the testing is a test to see what you can hear in a range of sounds. If there is background noise, you can test your hearing range and see whether your hearing is affected. It’s important that you know your audiologist is there to support and help without any judgement of you. They will talk you through the hearing tests that they need to do and then talk you through your best options. 

Book to See Our Audiologists Today

An audiologist is there to help you with any concerns that you might have about your hearing, and if you’re finding it difficult to hear any background noise, they will take you through a range of tests to help. When you call our clinic today, you can speak to a team that cares greatly about your hearing and your comfort. Call Hear Here Audiology today at 727-289-1212 today and get an appointment booked.