by Daniel Fink, MD, Chair, The Quiet Coalition
Hidden hearing loss is the term used to describe nerve damage in the inner ear (cochlear synatptopathy) which causes hearing loss detected only by special research techniques, not by standard hearing testing (pure tone audiometry). That’s why it’s called “hidden.” The clinical manifestation of hidden hearing loss is thought to be difficulty understanding speech in a noisy environment, but auditory training might help improve understanding of speech in noisy places.
This article describes a survey of adults who were asked if they would be willing to participate in auditory training. What’s of interest to me is that 22% of adults surveyed report having difficulty understanding speech in a noisy environment. That fits with other reports I’ve seen, but I think it’s an underestimate.
Many people with hearing loss think their hearing is excellent, and I think the same is true for people asked about difficulty understanding speech in a noisy environment. Due to the stigma of hearing loss, no one wants to admit that he or she has a problem.
More importantly, if people have difficulty understanding speech in noisy environments, it would seem to be much easier to make those environments quieter, rather than offering auditory training to those with the problem.
Quieter environments would make it easier for everyone to converse, and would prevent auditory damage in those without it.