Airport Baggage Handler a Bad Idea for a Tinnitus Sufferer? One of the Loudest Jobs in the World?

Hello. I developed tinnitus a few months ago and it can be quite bad sometimes.

I recently just got a job working as airport ground crew and my dumbass wasn’t thinking about how loud this would be. Apparently it’s one of the loudest jobs in the world?

Would earplugs and muffs together be enough or should I just quit? I really don’t want my tinnitus to get any worse.

 

Hi @Coolgecko96, do you have other job opportunities where you live?

If so, I would look and see if there are quieter jobs out there.

Ultimately, your hearing is priceless. On the other hand, eating and having money to live or provide for a family is essential.

Praying you can make the best, safest decision for you.

 

This is the kind of job you would only want to do temporarily. A step off to a better job, hopefully something with less noise. This job is also notoriously hard on the back.

But this is COVID-19 and work isn’t easy to come by. I would take the job, double up on hearing protection, and aim to find another job.

 

I wouldn't do it. The potential exposure to jet engines is just too great. Money is important but not important enough to risk tinnitus reaching unbearable levels.

 

Don't do it!

Your hearing is compromised.

Don't listen to people without hearing issues on this matter.

 

I don't know how stable your tinnitus is, because I know people who work construction with steady tinnitus and so far haven't had a worsening even though they're not big on hearing protection at all, but I absolutely agree with the others. If you have other options, quit the airport job.

Unfortunately, even double protection is not that much. You can add approx. 5 dB to the already adjusted, better NRR rating of the two equipment and in an airport setting it might not be sufficient.

 

It would help to know how much the tinnitus is bothering you since you haven't had it that long? Are you able to sleep without waking? Have you been seen at ENT and had tests? The fact that you are able to work is a good sign, so I wouldn't throw in the towel yet. It all depends how you feel about the noisy surroundings you are working in because it could work in your favour.

It reads on your profile that your tinnitus was caused by noise. People with noise-induced tinnitus should try and avoid being exposed to further loud noise. However, no two people experience this type of tinnitus the same. If you are experiencing some oversensitivity to sound which may not be full blown hyperacusis, the environment you're working in could help to desensitise your auditory system and treat the tinnitus.

One of the treatments for noise-induced tinnitus is sound enrichment. You would be getting a lot of this at your place of work. Before giving up your job I suggest you try using noise reducing earplugs and see how you get on. These will lower external sound but won't block it out completely unlike foam earplugs. Attenuation of 18 to 25 decibels is a good place to start. Click on the link below and read my post, Hyperacusis, As I See It.

Michael

Hyperacusis, As I See It | Tinnitus Talk Support Forum

 

In the United States there is a historic labor shortage; it could be easier than ever to find a comparable job depending on your location.

 

Don't do it.

An ex colleague of mine was a rampy and ended up with hyperacusis and tinnitus from years of Jet engine noise.

I work at an airport and even away from the stands it is loud!

Shaun.