Someone's stare could be a sign of deafness - and show six other health warnings

08 September 2023 , 21:05

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Eye movement could be a key indicator of deafness later in life, scientists say (Image: Getty Images)

Someone's stare tell doctors whether they will become deaf later in life, scientists believe.

Medical professionals usually observe the patient's ears to identify deafness, but in most cases they can only detect the condition 10 to 20 years after it emerges. This is clearly unhelpful, so one team of Canadian researchers has stepped in, hoping they can detect the issues far earlier.

University of Toronto neuroscientist Dr Björn Herrmann believes he has found a clear indicator of hearing issues. In his study, he watched people's eyes as they listened to someone talking and found those who struggled to hear, were staring more intently. This is partly supported by previous studies, in which people don't move their eyes much while focusing.

Dr Hermann's Journal of Neuroscience paper, which based its results on tests involving 23 young adults, has concluded that people who are struggling to hear have to put more effort in. This makes their eye movement fixate on a single point.

The doctor added : "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."

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The 23 subjects, who described themselves as having good hearing, were asked to listen to podcasts at different volumes with different background noises. Some of these noises made the speech harder to hear. As the tracks played, the subjects were made to rest their chins on a ledge as researchers observed the movements their eyes made. They found that as the listening conditions became more difficult, eye movements decreased.

Dr Hermann added that putting more effort in to listen is not always indicative of hearing loss, but it could show that someone's hearing is in decline.

"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 Hermann said in an interview with Medical Xpress.

Over the years, scientists have found six other warning signs that can point to hearing loss. The most common signs are listed below...

1. Struggling to hear people clearly and frequently misunderstanding what they say - especially in noisy environments.
2. Asking people to repeat their statements.
3. Having to listen to music or watch TV at a higher volume than the people with you need.
4. Struggling to hear people over the phone.
   
5. Finding yourself unable to keep up with conversations.
6. Feeling exhausted or stressed out because you have to concentrate so hard while listening.

Often, it may be a loved one or friend who notices your hearing difficulties before you do.

Ryan Fahey