A small portion of employees have a diagnosed hearing problem, and there are more people working who suspect they have some level of hearing loss but have not yet sought treatment for whatever reason. Those who suspect they have hearing loss almost always find that hearing loss impacts them at their work. Issues at work may include feeling stressed, misunderstanding what is said or struggling to understand what is being said over the phone.
Hearing loss can be a significant barrier to being productive at work, which can then impact on your performance, career success and your earnings. Luckily, if you treat your hearing loss, you combat your difficulties and close the gap. Treating your hearing loss can help in more ways than you might expect too. If you’re worried about your hearing, get help, whether it’s a hearing aid or another assistive listening device. Here are a few ways that better hearing can help your career.
Show You’re a Problem Solver
Tackling your hearing loss can prove to your employer that you’re an ambitious problem solver. A lot of people try to ignore, or at least downplay their health problems, especially in a work environment. They might do this for a variety of reasons, but if you’re addressing your hearing loss, this will show your employer that you’re willing to take on any issues head-on. Rather than burying your head, you’re showing that you will do what you need to stay on top of your game and perform at work as best as you can.
Improve Workplace Communication
One of the big problems that come with dealing with hearing loss in the workplace is struggling to hear conversations with co-workers or being unable to hear during phone calls. If you wear a hearing aid at work, you can massively improve your ability to communicate effectively, with co-workers, customers and clients. If you have a job where communication is essential, treating your hearing loss can really pay off and make you much better at your job.
Confidence
One of the most commonly reported side effects of hearing loss is a lack of confidence and self-esteem. At work, this lack of confidence can be a problem, making it harder to perform well. Those who start wearing a hearing aid at work report that the change to wearing a hearing aid improves their hearing, which then improves their workplace relationships and gives them more confidence. Both of these things are very important and very helpful to have in your arsenal in the workplace.
Stay On the Cutting Edge of Technology
Hearing technology has come a long way. It’s in a completely different place from where it was a few years ago. New hearing technology is connective and works very well alongside other technology to make both your working and personal life easier. With hearing systems that are able to connect to your smartphone using Bluetooth to stream audio and let you adjust your hearing aid to the environment you’re in, you can make use of the latest technology to improve your hearing and your communication and your life.
Keep Your Earning Potential High
Untreated hearing loss can have a big impact on your income if you allow it to affect your work. By using hearing aids, you can reduce that risk of earning less by a massive amount, by giving yourself back some confidence and the ability to communicate clearly at work. People who don’t seek professional help for their hearing loss and leave it undiagnosed and untreated are more likely to be unemployed.
How can you tell that you are dealing with some level of hearing loss? It can be harder to know for sure than you might think and a lot of people live with hearing loss for quite a while without realizing it. We often only realize our hearing is getting worse when a friend or a family member talks to us about it. Hearing loss is happening to younger people at a faster rate, perhaps due to environmental factors like using headphones and the associated risks that come with hearing loss, like dementia, could soon make the problem into a health epidemic.
Make sure you have your hearing checked on a regular basis, the same as you have an eye test, a dentist appointment or a physical. Get in touch to schedule a hearing exam, no matter how old you are and find out how hearing loss could be affecting you in your career. To find out more about hearing loss and what a hearing instrument specialist can do for you, call Beck Hearing Aid Centre at (888) 618-3778.
