THE way someone stares could be the first early sign of deafness, scientists say.
Typically, when a medic is testing for hearing issues, they look to the ears.
The issue with this, however, is that ear tests usually only spot hearing loss a decade or two after it emerges, which isn't very helpful.
But now, Canadian researchers say they might have found a better way – which can discover hearing issues much earlier on.
By watching people's eyes as they listen to someone talk, neuroscientist Dr Björn Herrmann, from the University of Toronto, has identified a tell-tale sign of hearing difficulty.
The more someone struggles to hear, they more intently they will stare.
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Previous studies have found people who are focusing don't move their eyes very much.
The new research, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, suggests the same applies to people who are struggling to hear and are therefore having to put more effort in.
Dr Björn said: "The next steps are certainly to investigate whether eye movements also indicate listening effort in older adults, because this is the population for which our new approach may be most useful."
The study involved 23 young adults, who thought of their hearing as healthy.
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They listened to podcasts at different volumes with different background noises, with some noises making the audio harder to listen to.
While they listened to the sounds, participants rested their chins on a ledge in front of a computer screen, as scientists watched their eye movements.
The researchers discovered eye movements decreased under the most difficult listening conditions.
Working hard to listen to something doesn't always suggest hearing loss, but it could be sign someone is struggling, the expert said.
"The next steps are certainly to investigate whether eye movements also indicate listening effort in older adults, because this is the population for which our new approach may be most useful," Dr Björn told Medical Xpress.
The 6 early warning signs of hearing loss
HEARING loss is very common, particularly as you get older.
But, it's not always easy to tell if you're losing your hearing.
Common signs include:
- Difficulty hearing other people clearly and misunderstanding what they say – especially in noisy places
- Having to ask people to repeat themselves
- Listening to music or watching TV with the volume higher than people with you need
- Difficulty hearing people on the phone
- Struggling it hard to keep up with a conversation
- Feeling tired or stressed from having to concentrate while listening
Sometimes someone else might notice problems with your hearing before you do.
Source: NHS
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