Can working in a call centre for 10 years cause my hearing loss?

I have hearing loss mainly high frequency in my right ear. I work in a call centre and have headphones on all day. I used to have my headset on my right ear for around 6 years and then switch to my left ear after my hearing got bad. Been using my headset on my left ear for 4 years. My job pays well but im worried.The doctors say its not causing it but I think they think I’m just trying to claim compensation. I am not and if it the cause then I will switch my role in my job. I would lose money but it’s worth it if it’s going to make my other ear bad. Does anyone have advise on this?
Thanks

My loss*
Right ear.*
250. 45
500. 55
1000. 75
2000. 100
4000. 110
8000. 105

Left ear*
Left*
250 40
500. 15
1000 5
2000 0
4000. 10
6000. 0
8000 65

I worked in a call center for almost 8 years. There is no way a telephone can cause that kind of damage.

Look elsewhere …

They might be related, but that’s far from clear based on what you posted. Remember that with hearing loss as well as other things, correlation does not imply causation; lots of pairs of events that may seem to be related just occur coincidentally.


One way you might try to pin it down in your own mind: when you finish a stretch with the headphones on, are you having tinnitus, numbness, or pain in the ear that you didn’t have when you started the session? If not, that suggests you’re not overdoing it.

In either event, wearing aids may help you in speech discrimination without cranking the volume through the headset, so it ideally may help you slow further loss. Or it could all be a coincidence! :wink:

it would all depend on the db gain output if there is any. so long as it isn’t getting high like say the mp3 105db

if it was in the 34-60db its impossible.

on the other-hand If the people talking in the call center are using exceptionally high volume when they talk and the lack of proper sound deadening… or particularly loud machinery running in the back ground.

more likely if it was noise related loss it was from things closer to home like vacuume cleaner. 80-90db tv too loud music too loud, blenders, certain engine noises related to being out of tune on car, mowers,

guess the point is if it was noise related loss it was from every aspect not just in the office. even though certain things in the office may have contributed.

are there any higher frequency db testers that are cheap as a means to track down things that are high frequency being too load?

it would help this person to track down the source if there is anything in their life currently that is contributing.

like maybe high pitch frequency of a dieing fan??

Anyway look over this chart anything from osha up is causing damage when exposed for any length of time higher the level the less time it takes to damage hearing.

I see teleconference room was around 90db average If this is the same as call center, which i do not know, never been in one, then without proper sound deadening your going to have issues. I doubt employers walk through there centers with a db tester to ensure its not too loud.

drop down to the “sustained exposure may cause hearing loss” On the right, its stuff in the home, note all of those are all “above” a teleconference room. db level. and amount of time exposed plays in. Also short accumulation over long periods of time does as well.

its a legit question you miss understood the question its “HEADPHONES” not phone.
BEYERDYNAMIC DT100 - Beyerdynamik DT 100 Dynamic Studio Headphones, closed, 400 Ohm, 94dB/IEC, 30-20K Hz, 340g, incl. cab just to prove a point db levels 94db here

some of them depending make and model may have higher than normal volume db gains. what the poster needs to post is the model and make of the headset used to confirm its Max db output. And to determine if there is any other added amp device between the phone and the headset.

this person may not of had that information going to the audi so asking here to me seams perfectly legit.

Thats if you can get the aid to properly work with a phone not all aids are created equal. all of my hearing aids have utterly failed on the phone with a constant bzzzz and significant volume drop and mono sound instead of
stereo. the ones I had all had the telephone option.

I worked in a call center for almost 8 years. There is no way a telephone can cause that kind of damage.

I can’t speak for modern call centres, but I certainly have several elderly clients with hearing loss probably caused by long-term telephone switchboard operation.

Hello I found your statement when searching the internet as I am experiencing the same thing. I’m in the exact same position and wondering if I should Tver up my high paying job if it could cause even further hearing loss. What did you end up doing ?