Auditory Processing Disorder: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

“I can hear but I can’t understand what is being said—why?” This is a common concern for anyone experiencing hearing loss.  But for some, this complaint may be a symptom of something more.  

Auditory processing disorder (APD) is a condition that affects the brain's ability to coordinate, process, and understand what the ears hear. It can lead to challenges in recognizing and interpreting sounds, particularly in noisy environments or situations with multiple speakers.

In this article, we'll discuss what APD is, what it’s like to live with, and what options are available if you or a loved one is experiencing it.

While auditory processing disorder can be found in both adults and children, a few common symptoms of auditory processing disorder in adults are below:

• Difficulty understanding rapid speech
• Asking others to repeat themselves
• Recalling only certain words in a sentence
• Trouble following directions
• Inability to focus in a noisy environment
• Not being able to recall what people said
• Inability to recall important information or dates
• Not being able to tell where a sound is coming from

According to Mayo Clinic, the cause of auditory processing disorder is unknown. Some risk factors that have been linked to ADP include:

• Aging
• Brain injury or head-related trauma
• Lead poisoning
• Seizure disorders
• Strokes and cardiovascular disease
• Repeated ear infections in childhood
• Prenatal factors, such as low birth weight, premature birth weight, or a pregnant person using alcohol, drugs, or tobacco

There may be some minor adjustments that you can make at home and in your daily life to help you manage your symptoms in addition to receiving auditory processing disorder therapies. A few of these changes are:

• Writing down important information
• Making changes to your environment to reduce sources of noise, such as removing noisy fans and TVs from areas where hearing is critical
• Using an assistive listening devices like a remote microphone that can help pick up sound coming from a specific direction, such as a person who is speaking