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Two people talking at a desk in Dryden, NY with a laptop

Can Hearing Loss Affect Your Career?

Hearing loss is incredibly common, affecting over 48 million Americans to some degree. Because hearing loss is so common in adults, it is no surprise that hearing loss in the workplace is a rising concern. Your hearing is a crucial part in how you communicate with the world. Hearing loss doesn’t only affect your ability to converse with family members and friends, but with colleagues as well.

Discover how hearing loss can affect you in the workplace and what you can do to address it.

Hearing Loss Affects Communication

Hearing helps us effectively communicate with other people, including coworkers, partners, and clients. Because hearing loss typically muffles sounds, it can cause you to miss out on key information during meetings, phone calls, presentations, or even just conversations.

Untreated hearing loss can also cause feelings of fatigue after a conversation. If you’ve noticed that you feel more tired at the end of a conversation while at work, then you should have your hearing evaluated. If left untreated, hearing loss causes your brain to work harder just to understand what is being said. This can leave you feeling exhausted after simple interactions.

Between difficulty with communication and feelings of fatigue, this can begin to affect your work relationships and your overall performance.

What Can You Do?

The best way to stay productive at work and to keep your hearing loss from affecting your career is to have your hearing checked annually. If you know you have a hearing loss, you can take steps to address it and find accommodations within your workplace. For many people, wearing hearing aids helps to hear every part of the conversation and keeping up with your colleagues. Hearing aids will provide your brain with the sound signals it needs to remain active and healthy, allowing you to not only hear better, but to feel more energized as well.

If you have a severe hearing loss then wearing a hearing aid accessory in addition to hearing aids can give you an extra boost in the office. Hearing aid accessories are designed to provide even more help in complex listening environments, so you don’t miss anything important.

It’s also important to speak up if you are having a hard time understanding the conversation. If there is a lot of background noise present and a colleague is trying to have a conversation with you, then ask to move to a quieter location. You always have the right to ask for accommodations.

Schedule an Appointment Today

Be proactive about your hearing health by calling us today to make your appointment. We can test your hearing and discuss hearing aid options that will help you be engaged in the conversation again. Don’t let hearing loss affect your work life, call us to schedule your appointment today.