When you are at work, you want to do your best in every part of your job. Showing you are productive and responsive enhances your performance and helps you get ahead, but this becomes harder if you're having trouble with your hearing. In some professional environments, it may even be dangerous. Learning to improve your hearing while you are on the job can drastically change the quality of your work life for the better.

1. Improve Your Hearing With Hearing Aids

The first way to experience better hearing at work is to get a hearing aid. Hearing loss is a common problem all over the world. It can be caused by age, injury, illnesses and even prolonged and repeated exposure to loud noises. About a third of people between the ages of 65 and 74 have trouble hearing, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Younger and middle-aged adults are not immune to hearing loss either. Some people start noticing hearing issues as early as their 30s. For most people, this represents the peak of their working years, so hearing loss becomes a serious detriment to their careers. You can use hearing aids to regain some of your hearing, and they are easier than ever to acquire.

In the past, you would have to visit an audiologist and get expensive prescription aids to improve your hearing. Seeing an audiologist for an evaluation is still a good idea, but now you can order great hearing aids online, such as the Audien Atom Pro unit, and start hearing better with minimal inconvenience.

2. Improve Your Hearing by Reducing Workplace Noise

As you deal with hearing issues, talk to your supervisor about potential changes to where and how you work. See if you can be placed in quieter situations. For instance, if you commonly work near loud machinery that makes it hard to communicate with your colleagues, maybe your manager can move you to a quieter workstation.

With fewer loud sounds and noise distractions, you can usually understand conversations in person and on the telephone better. This offers another benefit by protecting your ears. If you are already starting to deal with hearing loss, remaining in a noisy environment only makes things worse.

You can also be deliberate about when and where you have conversations at work to improve your hearing. When a coworker needs to talk with you, move the conversation to a quiet setting such as an office, an empty breakroom or an unused conference room. You will have less excess noise to try to sort through and can focus on the discussion at hand.

3. Improve Your Hearing With Headphones

Workers who need to listen to a lot of pre-recorded material or take part in virtual meetings may benefit from using headphones while working. These devices allow you to focus on the audio transmission while reducing how much outside noise you hear.

It is possible to use headphones while also using hearing aids. First, get low-profile hearing aids that fit well in your ear. Audien has several options that fit the bill and are very comfortable for all-day wear. Next, get the right headphones. Avoid earbud-style units since they can't be worn with your hearing aids and using them instead of your hearing aids may cause more damage to your ears.

Pick over-the-ear headphones instead. Any models with thick padding are helpful since you increase the distance between the speaker of the headphone and your ear canal. While using your headphones, take care to monitor the volume levels carefully since it can be easy to let the volume get too loud without noticing. Sustained periods of loud audio so close to your ear can harm your hearing instead of improving it, which was the goal. In general, limit your headphones to 80% or less of their maximum volume.

4. Use Coping Strategies To Improve Your Hearing at Work

As you take these steps to hear better at work, you should also work on some other coping ideas to make your job easier.

Communications

Start with adjusting how you communicate. Increase your use of email and messaging tools so you can send and receive more written communications. You can rely on your eyesight rather than your hearing.

Meetings

Get meeting agendas printed and shared in advance so it is easier to follow along. Your brain can put together context clues even if you don't hear every word perfectly. Sit as close to the presenter as possible when you can so you don't have to strain to hear from the back of the room.

In-Person Conversations

When you do have conversations in person, make sure the individual you are talking with is facing you so you can see the person's lips. Reading lips can help make sense of what someone is saying, helping you stay on top of what's happening at work. Ask people to refrain from sharing messages across the room. You can also reduce distractions by multi-tasking less when holding a conversation.

Phone Accommodations

Workers who spend a lot of time on the telephone may want to ask their employers about phones that are compatible with hearing aids. Not all receivers are comfortable when held against a hearing aid, so changing it may make it easier for you to do your job. You should also ask if there are any transcription tools available for your phone and virtual meeting systems.

Improve Your Hearing for a Better Life

Your hearing is one of your most important senses, so taking care of it as it starts to decline should be a priority. At work, you can make improvements in your hearing by changing some simple habits and getting hearing aids that make it easier to do your job and communicate with your coworkers.

If you're ready to improve your hearing, don't put off the process. Look into the options from Audien Hearing and find the rechargeable unit that is appropriate for you. Log on today to get the best prices for your new over-the-counter hearing aids and start hearing better sooner.

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/noise/preventhearingloss/default.html https://www.healthyhearing.com/report/52738-Hearing-loss-in-the-workplace https://hearinghealthfoundation.org/hearing-loss-in-the-workplace https://speechhearing.com/how-better-hearing-can-help-your-career/ https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/hearing-loss-common-problem-older-adults https://www.consumerreports.org/hearing-ear-care/headphones-and-hearing-aids/ https://audienhearing.com/collections/rechargeable-hearing-aids