How Can I Deal with Work and Tinnitus (Meetings, etc.)?

So, I have had tinnitus for a while (years), and it is loud. But recently moved into a new career industry related to technology. The issue with my job is a few things. One, is many times they like to go out to eat at restaurants for team lunches. Most restaurants are loud (but ok with earplugs) and I have to put in earplugs and look stupid and can't understand what people say. Then there is teleconferences. I measured with a decibel reader the speakers going close to 80 dB. I avoid this by asking to call in myself in situations I feel can not be controlled or figure out how to keep the volume down.

Other than that, meetings in meeting rooms where a bunch of people are in and trying to talk over each other, this leads to loud spikes.

I mean, how can I handle this without looking stupid?

To top it off there is someone who somehow manages to "yell" at the beginning of there sentences sometimes. I know it is getting up in the 80+ dB range when it goes like that. I don't know how to deal with that either.

Overall, I am just finding all this stressful and don't know how to handle this in a workplace. I told my manager about it and they are understanding, but I know none of them will truly get why what I am dealing with is a concern unless they had to put up with it themselves.

How can I deal with this in a workplace without looking stupid? I'm trying to start in a new industry and just don't know how to handle this.

 

Well for the earplug part I use eargasm earplugs, there are lots of others like this on Amazon, that are really not very visible when I put them in, so at least it doesn't look so weird.

 

Sorry to hear of your challenges, and those that do not have tinnitus don't really understand what these volume levels can do to us.

https://www.noisyplanet.nidcd.nih.gov/have-you-heard/noise-levels-restaurants

These restaurants have simply gotten too loud, putting both patrons and staff at risk. I literally ran out of an establishment that was too loud with speakers for music at every other table all around a room. I did not go back for months, and when I did I had my earplugs, at a less busy time, and the music was not as loud. I also asked to be seated into a quieter area, and asked the hostess if they could reduce the music volume, and I was pleasantly surprised when this request was obliged.

Be sure to bring good earplugs, and use them. Also take breaks by going outside, and if the audio is simply too loud, excuse yourself as tinnitus is a problem to be respected as when it gets out of control, it is an awful burden to try and deal with, and no available remedy.

 

Don't worry about “looking stupid”.

Do your best at your job, people will value you and love you and appreciate you for who you are. Protect your ears, but remember we tend to overthink stuff more than other people do.

Does that make any sense? Just do your best, don't worry about wearing earplugs... you're just fine, don't doubt that, nobody really gives a shit and once they are educated they will be cool.

 

The issue though too is one guy in the office starts a lot of his sentences yelling. Like it gets up to 80db I’m pretty sure if not louder.

I can’t tell them to talk different. It’s like a weird way that he talks. Also people may need to sit behind me and talk to me behind me and may talk loud that way too.


Overall, I’m stressed and don’t know how to handle this as I have to work with the person to talk loud. Even sitting away from them and it still is loud. I can’t wear earplugs because I can’t hear the normal speakers then.

I’m at a loss and don’t know what to do.

 

Have you told the person who talks loud?

Not all people have empathy of course.

 

In my experience, this MIGHT work in the short term. Then they forget and talk like usual.

 

Yeah, I can believe it. You can't blame them really.

 

I have a coworker who talks really loud when on the phone. It's more shouting than talking. It annoys everyone, even my coworkers without any ear problems (luckily her desk is sufficiently away from mine so I don't get bothered by it). She doesn't even realize it. When people talk to her about she says they're exaggerating and its far more important that she's friendly on the phone (which is totally unrelated to her shouting, she just doesn't care). I think she has quite severe hearing loss but doesn't know it or is ashamed to admit it.

Strangely enough, when talking to her she speaks normal, it's only when on the phone. Unfortunately, calling customers is her job.

 

Use musician's earplugs all the time. They aren't very noticeable and you can hear everything, but at a lower volume!