No Barrier to Success: How to Avoid Hearing Problems From Holding Your Career Back
Did you know that hearing loss affects approximately 48 million people in the United States alone? This has been proven true.
Hearing loss can happen for a variety of reasons and can occur at different intensities. Hearing loss can be relatively minor and just a simple inconvenience. Or, it can be very serious and extremely life-altering. As much as nobody wants to believe it, you’re never too young to develop hearing impairment. Some people are even born with one.
As mentioned, severe cases of hearing setbacks can be life-altering. However, sometimes even small hearing problems can damper your career. In this case, you’re probably looking for ways to ensure your hearing problem doesn’t have a serious and long-term effect on your job.
Speaking of which, below are some tips to reduce the chances of a hearing issue from causing a barrier in your career.
1. Choose a Career Path that Doesn’t Require You to Hear.
It’s easier said than done, and quite honestly, you shouldn’t have to pick a career based on your hearing ability. However, in severe hearing loss cases, it might be physically, mentally, and emotionally best to choose a job where you won’t need to talk on phones or communicate face-to-face with customers or clients.
Fine artists, web developers, landscaping workers, photographers, writers, bookkeepers, chat support arts, proofreaders, graphic artists all don’t necessarily require a hearing or a lot of hearing to complete their job duties.
2. Communicate Your Situation with Your Boss.
Assuming you’re employed by someone else, it’s always a good idea to ensure your boss knows about your hearing problem. This way, they can accommodate you in any way that you might need and provide you with job duties that will be most applicable to your situation. If they are unable to accommodate you, however, you may be able to take a legal course of action.
3- Opt for Assistive Technology.
A lot of the time, hearing loss can be inevitable. And, it might be something your doctor told you that there’s little that can be done about it. However, you don’t have to continue to let your hearing problems cause inconveniences. There are many great assistive technological devices out there, besides hearing aids, such as closed captioning and real-time transcription.
4. Try Tinnitus Treatment.
Tinnitus, or ringing in the ear(s), is a common condition that can if severe, cause difficulty hearing. Although it isn’t considered curable at this time, what you can do for ear ringing is get a treatment that can at least reduce the extent of your symptoms.
One of the most effective ways to get treatment for tinnitus? You can get rid of tinnitus using ocean wave signals. It may not completely get rid of your condition, but it will help make it at least more manageable.
Conclusion
Hearing loss is a very real, nerve-wracking, and inconvenient condition. Not surprisingly, it can cause problems within one’s career. The good news is, there are multiple things you can try to ensure your hearing problem doesn’t cause significant inconveniences in your field of work.
