Wearing Headphones for 7 Hours a Day — Should I Take the Customer Service Job?

I have mild tinnitus. It started last year due to loud music because I used to play my headphones a lot through the day and turning the volume up.

I got accepted to a customer service job. I will be talking in a foreign language (pays very well) and I need the job, but I'm afraid the 7 hours of headphones a day can worsen my mild tinnitus.

What do you suggest? If I wear earplugs while using headphones at a regular volume, am I going to be okay?

Thanks in advance to anyone who will respond to this because I'm happy I got accepted but afraid at the same time if it might worsen my tinnitus.

Have a nice day!

 

The type of tinnitus you have is noise induced. Anyone with this type of tinnitus, I usually advise that they don't use any type of headphones even at low volume, as there is a risk of making it worse. However, I understand that you need the job. Therefore, you could try it and see how you get on.

I have corresponded and counselled people with noise induced tinnitus. Many of them acquired tinnitus from listening to audio through headphones, earbuds or headsets at too high a volume. Some returned to using headphones after habituation, keeping the volume low and the tinnitus increased. Not everyone with this type of tinnitus is adversely affected by headphone use but a lot of people are. Please type headphones in the search box at the top of this page and read the posts.

Some people will tell you I am talking rubbish and deliberately trying to scare you. Please be assured this is not the case. My advice is based on many years experience with this type of tinnitus. Those that say using headphones at low volume causes no harm, are often but not always people that do not have noise induced tinnitus. Their tinnitus was caused by an underlying medical problem within the auditory system and therefore, they know nothing about noise induced tinnitus.

I don't want you to miss the chance of having a job. Try it out and see how you get on but please be careful. If possible keep the volume through the headphones as low as possible and take frequent breaks to give your ears a rest.

Take care and I wish you well.

Michael

 

Thank you so much for the reply.

I am not diagnosed with noise-induced tinnitus but I guess that is the case because I used to listen to loud music through earbuds so I think that may be a very possible reason for my tinnitus.

Would earplugs protect me from a worsening if I used them while wearing the headphones? I think I read that the earplugs would reduce the sound to a safe level?

Thank you for your reply. I really appreciate your effort to present clear information

 

I think using earplugs while wearing a headset may increase sound sensitivity, and unless you have awesome hearing, you will have to concentrate a lot to hear everything properly through the earplugs. That may produce anxiety or stress and that can also have an impact on hearing.

If you don't use earplugs, depending on how your headset performs and how reception is, you may experience other issues like feedback through the headset, sudden changes in volume etc

The level of noise of a busy call center may be pretty high too.

If I were you, I would not take the job, unless there is no other option.

 

The good news is that it's work-from-home and that's amazing, I can take breaks anytime I want. I won't get a huge number of calls.

My question is how do earplugs increase sound sensitivity? I thought earplugs' function is to limit the sound level that reaches my eardrum.

 

No. Don’t make this mistake It’s the worst thing you can do.

 

It is the frequency that destroys high end. You have no idea how frequencies work.

 

I don't know, but I feel angry about that because I stopped making music after like 3 years of passion and putting all my effort to study music and make music. I stopped when I found that tinnitus is getting worse with making music and now I have to stop myself from taking a job that will change my entire life because the salary it pays in my country is decent, and now I have to simply stop taking it again just like I stopped making music.

So If my ears can't handle a headphone with low sound level or can't handle laptop speakers with a moderate sound level, what they are made for? I'm 22 years old and I'm suffering not because of my tinnitus which bothers me at night when there is only silence but I'm bothered with chances I'm missing out on, because I'm afraid if I took that chance tinnitus will get worse.

I'm sorry but you all seem to be old and wise and have faced all of that; definitely there is information you can offer. Like, can someone please explain to me why they made earplugs? Why can't I use it with the headphone and everybody is happy?

Thanks again to anyone who is replying to my thread

 

My advice is not to use earplugs with headphones for the reasons mentioned by members in this thread. Since you are going to be working from home, it might be a good idea listen to phone calls through small desktop speakers and use a separate microphone.

I am fairly confident you have noise induced tinnitus caused by headphones used at too high a volume. They are common causes of the condition and it's how I acquired tinnitus. Since your tinnitus is mild try to keep it that way.

When you have the time I suggest that you read my posts on my started threads.

 

I got tinnitus by listening to music. I LOVE music! Of course you can listen to music or use a lap top. Just don’t use ear buds or ear phones. I am sure you can take your job where you can listen to the other person via regular phone or speaker phone.

I am older than you and an introvert so I don’t go out that much. I can feel your pain. Life offers a lot more things than music or parties. You can still enjoy life, but this is one sacrifice you will have to make — just avoid loud sounds.

Don’t give up on your other dreams. You are too young, go to college and get a good education. Who knows, there might be a treatment in 5 years.

 

Thank you all.

I still don't know if I am going to take the job or not but my last question: What do you think If I took the job and used laptop speakers instead of the headphone. Will it protect me?

 

Are you allowed to use speakers?

That plus earplugs would help a lot I think. You got distance, and a little protection from accidental blasts from the other person/your colleagues.

 

I think if you don't have hyperacusis and/or distortions, laptops speakers should be OK. I'm using them currently, and have been using them for a while and I don't think that they had an effect on my tinnitus.

I hope it's OK to ask here, I don't want to start an n-th headphone topic.

I'm really cautious with sounds, I have not listened to music or mainly anything on headphones, earphones, buds for almost 2 years and I'm not planning to either. No music is worth risking a worsening for me.

However, I think I need headphones for studying. I need to listen to online lectures and my surroundings are too distracting. Not loud, so I won't have to crank up the volume, but distracting.

Can you recommend something, headphones or those muffs with in-built speakers that I could listen to lectures at a safe volume, but what also provides good dampening for outside sounds? Do you have good experience with a specific product?

 

If you really can work remotely I would do just that, use good quality speakers, not too loud and a seperate mic. Would not risk headphones if they are not totally necessary.

 

Just don't put the headphones right on your ears. It looks a little wacky, wearing headphones on your temples rather than your ears, but you might just be able to hear everything fine, with a lot less risk of problems. Other than that, I'd recommend speakers.

 

No.

 

Earplugs usually produce occlusion. You will hear your own voice louder. Your hearing system will also adjust to try to concentrate on the sound that gets through the earplugs. When you remove them your hearing is somehow set to capture every tiny sound, as a consequence of earplugs use.

Earplugs should be used when it is the best and only option from a set of bad options.