Originally published March 15, 2017
How do they do it? How is it that some contestants can see:
__ o_ _ _un
and know that it says home run while the rest of us are still guessing at the answer?
The brains behind the answer
A winning contestant has a strong visual processing ability in the visual cortex in the brain which allows them to see what is not there. Visual processing can be used as an analogy for auditory processing. With hearing loss, the ear is unable to deliver the full auditory spectrum to the brain, so the brain is forced to work really hard to fill in the blanks to understand the message.
Filling in the gaps
Some brains are excellent at the task of filling in the gaps. Think of a group of 20-year-olds at a bar not appearing to have any problems hearing one and other. It is because their brains can fill in the blanks in the sounds that background noise is masking. As we age, the brain’s ability to filter out background noise changes. Studies show that changes in the volume of the auditory cortex of the brain (it shrinks over time) affect our ability to identify words in challenging listening environments.
Hearing also changes over time. Age-related hearing loss is called presbycusis. (It happens with our eyes too. You may be more familiar with the term presbyopia which is why we need reading glasses.) Presbycusis is what makes it difficult to hear conversations, especially when there’s background noise.
So it’s a bit of a double whammy on the game board – our hearing and our brains change as we age. But not all is lost. All we need is some help filling in the blanks. Hearing aids are an important part of this equation. Hearing aids will help deliver a more complete spectrum of sound to the ear so the brain doesn’t need to work as hard.
Our processing abilities are unique
Auditory processing abilities are different for each person. That’s why two people with identical hearing loss can function quite differently depending on how well or how poorly they process auditory information. You won’t be able to detect how well you process auditory information yourself, but your Audiologist can.
The bottom line is that the older we get, the more we need better, higher quality signals to reach our brains to understand the message. If you are noticing you’re straining to fill in the gaps, speak with an Audiologist. Call us at the Broadmead Hearing Clinic: 250-479-2926 or Oak Bay Hearing Clinic: 250-479-2921 or request an appointment online.
Image: Santoli