You love your job, but there are some serious side effects not least the impact it’s having on your hearing.
It’s time to book that appointment with a hearing specialist and find out if a change of career is needed to save you from further damage.
We take a look at the top five jobs most likely to cause hearing loss and damage and how you can prevent problems.
People in the hospitality trade
By which we mean anyone working in a noisy bar, club or restaurant. It’s not just the loud music that can cause issues; it’s the having to shout to be heard above the loud music that exacerbates the problem.
Obviously you need to hear the customer, so ear defenders or earplugs aren’t going to work. The best you can do is to rest your hearing after a shift. Revel in the silence of a quiet living room, while your hearing gets used to being at an acceptable level. If you do start feeling pain and discomfort then it might be time to consider a whole new career.
Flight crew
The loud roar of the engines during take off and landing is enough to damage anyone’s hearing it but when you’re exposed to it day in, day out, it’s easy to see how this damage can get worse over time. Fortunately you might get away with using earplugs for those few minutes that you’re strapped in.
Manufacturing
Probably the easiest one to imagine. The prolonged exposure to machinery noise, day after day can have a profound effect on hearing. Nowadays most staff who work in this kind of noisy environment are equipped with noise defenders but unless you’re remember to wear them every day, you can still take on a fair amount of damage.
If you are issued with ear defenders then use them. Not wearing them, for whatever reason, is foolhardy and puts your hearing at risk unnecessarily.
Ambulance staff
If that siren has got your attention, imagine how loud it is for the staff sitting inside. The ear splitting wail is enough to bring on ear pain. If you are experiencing this, in any form, make sure to talk to your employer and back it up with a visit from the hearing specialist.
Teachers
Take the stress levels and multiply them with the noise of school bells, divided by plenty of shouting and slamming of doors and lockers and it all adds up to having a serious problem on your hands.
More and more people from the teaching profession are reporting instances of failing hearing as the combination of stress that the body feels and constant exposure to noise that damages delicate ears.
You might be young and at the peak of your career, but without
