How do you deal with tinnitus at work? — 4 tips

It's been in the news a lot lately: doctors are sounding the alarm because the number of people with tinnitus (ringing in the ears) is increasing enormously, partly due to the loud music at festivals and the increasing use of earpods. Tinnitus affects around two million people in the Netherlands. Ten percent of them suffer a lot from it and for several tens of thousands of people, the symptoms are so bad that it causes psychosocial problems. People with tinnitus hear sounds such as rustling, wheezing or whistling, high or low, loud or soft, combinations of sounds, continuously or intermittently. Anyone can suffer from it.

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Tinitus: a common condition
It is often not possible to determine the exact cause of tinnitus. Tinnitus can be the result of prolonged exposure to (too much) noise, but also from abnormalities in the hearing organ, brain or jaw joint. In addition, it occurs as a side effect of other disorders or occurs as a side effect of certain medications. Stress can also play a role.

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Prevention is better!
Prevention is better than cure! Unfortunately, this does not apply to tinnitus. After all, there is usually no treatment that cures tinnitus! Most often, it starts with hearing damage. That's why it's essential to protect your ears. Here's how you can prevent ringing in the ears:

- Wear in places where there is loud noise earplugs with a filter. Universal filter caps are available for €10 to €15. If used a lot, investing in custom-made filter earplugs is worth considering (starting at around €100 per pair).
- When it comes to loud noise, don't just think of concerts, festivals or clubs. The volume is also often high in cinemas, for example. Jobs and riding a motorcycle can also be stressful for your ears. In addition, fireworks are a serious danger to your hearing.
- If you're somewhere with a lot of loud noise, take a break from time to time, and walk somewhere quieter in between.
- Listen to a safe volume to music. Turn on the volume limiter on your device
- Test your hearing annually, for example at oorcheck.nl.

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Tinnitus in your work situation: 4 tips
Tinnitus can also have a major impact at work. There is no easy solution for tinnitus, including working with tinnitus. How do you deal with it and how do you ensure that you can keep doing your job? There are a number of things you can pay attention to in your work situation if you have tinnitus. We have listed four tips.

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1) Indicate what you need
Telling your colleagues that you have tinnitus is important. For yourself, so you can intervene more easily. But also for others, so that they can understand and take it into account. Be honest with your colleagues and/or supervisor about what you need. As an employee, you are entitled to a number of things, even if you work from home. And employers must comply with the duty of care, including providing the right items and a safe and healthy workplace.

2) Adjust your way of working
Find the way of working that suits you. For example, many people have been able to experience the benefits of working from home in recent months. In addition, you may have also experienced that working from home in a quiet study reduced your tinnitus at the end of the day, or maybe the opposite: there were far more annoying noises and much worse acoustics at home than you were used to in your office. Did the online meeting give you peace of mind or were you just more burned out after an online meeting than you were used to? Try to find out what is the ideal situation for you.

3) Organize your workplace in the right way
Wherever you work, it's wise to see how you can design your workplace as conveniently as possible. This mainly includes acoustics and certain technical aids. Acoustic desk panels can make your working life a lot more enjoyable. But also think of acoustic room dividers or ceiling panels. And for an online meeting, opt for an acoustic bell cell, for example. That makes it a lot more comfortable. A technical tool such as a good headset can also help, if used responsibly!

4) Take tinnitus seriously
Fortunately, many people with tinnitus can just keep doing the work they want to do, with or without workplace adjustments. But it can also mean that you have to change your work (working less or working differently). Ask if a company or health doctor can be involved in this. Tinnitus won't go away! And the chance that your work will be fine by itself is not realistic.

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Want to know more about tinnitus?
Tinnitus is a complicated condition because the effects have an incredible number of effects and there are no easy solutions. We hope that everyone who suffers from tinnitus can continue to work in a good way in a pleasant environment. Need more help or information about tinnitus? Below are a few agencies where you can go.

Ear check - Initiative by VeiligheidNL

SafetyNL - The knowledge center for injury prevention

Dutch Tinnitus Platform - national consultation of audiologists, psychologists, otolaryngologists, social workers and other care providers (not focused on patients)

KNO.nl — Information in the field of Throat-Nose-Ear Surgery and Head and Neck Surgery

Doof.nl - news, developments and stories about deafness and hearing impairment

Hoormij Foundation — information about tinnitus/experience stories

GGMD — information, tinnitus help and training

Information card for the Hoormij Foundation — dealing with tinnitus

The Hearing Impairment and Tinnitus Directive — directive intended for occupational doctors

Amsterdam UMC — Tinnitus information for patients

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Learn more about our unique approach and our solutions and products to optimize workplace acoustics? Our expert team is here for you. Feel free to take contactIt's up with us!

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