tinnitus
h e ar i n g h ealth foundation
Working With Tinnitus By Hazel Goedhart and Markku Vesala
Work is an important part of one’s social environment and often provides a sense of achievement and self-worth. However, the data we’ve collected at Tinnitus Hub shows that more than a third—38 percent—of people who say they have tinnitus say that the condition has negatively affected their work prospects. This is not only life-changing for the person in question, but also means that tinnitus has a huge economic impact. As a volunteer-based, patient organization that runs Tinnitus Talk, a global online community for people with tinnitus, we would like to draw attention to this societal problem and push for tinnitus to be taken more seriously as a potential impediment to work.
Trouble Focusing
The biggest impact on work likely stems from difficulties with concentration, which many people with tinnitus report. Survey respondents indicate that tinnitus has affected their concentration mildly (41 percent), moderately (33 percent), or even severely (20 percent). Only a small minority report no concentration issues. This differs from the “concentration fatigue” that people with hearing loss can experience, when the brain has to put in extra effort to get the input it needs. Rather, it’s an effect of experiencing constant noise in one’s head and having to push that to the background in order to focus on other things. Of course, not everyone with tinnitus struggles, and many function in daily life without problems. The severity of tinnitus ranges across a spectrum, and often people who struggle at the onset of tinnitus later find good ways of coping. Nonetheless, severe tinnitus is frequently accompanied by anxiety and/or sleeplessness, which impacts the ability to focus at work. As one of our survey respondents puts it: “People don’t understand the everyday stress of always hearing a high-pitched sound.”
Has Tinnitus Affected Your Job or Work Prospects?
6.38%
Tinnitus has driven me to succeed more
I am struggling and thinking about giving up work due to tinnitus
55.30%
I have not felt a difference
hearing health
hhf.org
I struggled with work and gave it up
10.99%
Source: 2018 Tinnitus Hub survey with 1,800 respondents.
38
9.60%
17.70%
I have not been able to pursue career progression due to tinnitus
