Would I Benefit from Continuing My Sick Leave or Should I Go Back to Work?

[Sweetdeal]

I have been dealing with tinnitus and other ear problems since May. I do not know the exact cause of the tinnitus, but it is most likely noise-induced. I work in a school environment, which can be very noisy.

Three weeks ago, I developed a severe ear infection. I tried going to work, but it was too painful, and I became completely exhausted from using all my energy just trying to hear the students. So, I went on sick leave.

That sick leave is now coming to an end. While my ear infection has improved significantly, I still experience occasional shooting pain in my ear during the day. I don't notice my tinnitus much while I'm at work because of all the noise, but I've realized that it gets louder after a workday compared to days when I stay home.

Over the past few months, I've also noticed that I tolerate many sounds much worse than before. Noise makes me extremely tired and irritable.

So, I am wondering: would I benefit from taking more time off work, or should I start pushing myself to go back and try to power through this?

 

[Jupiterman]

You say that your tinnitus gets worse from your job compared to not going to work. Right away, you should be asking yourself the following questions:

1. Can I accept and live with continually worsening tinnitus from my current job for the rest of my career?
2. Am I prepared to consider a change of career to work in a quieter environment, possibly working from home?
3. Do I have hyperacusis?

Your ear infection will pass. Your tinnitus worsening should be your main concern.

You say you still have ear pain, and noise is less tolerable for you. You may have hyperacusis.

Further extending your sick leave would give your ears some time to settle and perhaps even heal a bit. You could even get some level of remission of your tinnitus. However, going back to a noisy school (after weeks or months of rest) would likely undo all that 'progress.'

What is it you hear with your tinnitus? Can you describe it?

I do not think you should be 'pushing' or 'powering' back to a noisy workplace.

 

[Sweetdeal]

You say that your tinnitus gets worse from your job compared to not going to work. Right away, you should be asking yourself the following questions:

1. Can I accept and live with continually worsening tinnitus from my current job for the rest of my career?
2. Am I prepared to consider a change of career to work in a quieter environment, possibly working from home?
3. Do I have hyperacusis?

Your ear infection will pass. Your tinnitus worsening should be your main concern.

You say you still have ear pain, and noise is less tolerable for you. You may have hyperacusis.

Further extending your sick leave would give your ears some time to settle and perhaps even heal a bit. You could even get some level of remission of your tinnitus. However, going back to a noisy school (after weeks or months of rest) would likely undo all that 'progress.'

What is it you hear with your tinnitus? Can you describe it?

I do not think you should be 'pushing' or 'powering' back to a noisy workplace.

My tinnitus is usually a high-pitched sound, but sometimes it feels more like crickets.

Before the ear infection, I felt like I was starting to manage it at work. However, after the infection, I've become much more sensitive to noise. My hearing has worsened, but at the same time, it feels like I "hear" everything.

I went to the mall the other day, and all the different sounds there were driving me crazy.

I love my work, but I've also realized that if I don't get better, I may need to find a different job.

 

[ErikaS]

Hello! I am a speech and language therapist working in a school environment. I developed multi-tone sound reactive tinnitus in fall 2022 following an ear infection that affected my right inner ear, causing nerve damage and sudden hearing loss in very high frequencies. Because my tinnitus was so reactive to normal environmental sounds (fans, driving, showering, TV), I was fortunate to take an extended leave, supported by my school district. By winter 2023, I finally began to stabilize. While I was still battling reactive tinnitus, it would calm down to baseline after some quiet time, and my ears would reset during sleep. I returned to work in March 2024, and I did well for the rest of the school year, feeling hopeful about the following year.

This past summer, however, I experienced a significant spike in my tinnitus for several reasons. I returned to work with the spike, and it was incredibly challenging. In October, I made the very difficult decision to resign from my job. Although the spike has improved since I returned in September, and I have started to engage in more activities and even perform better at work, my decision is about the longevity and quality of my life with this condition. I need to make a change that allows me to feel a sense of purpose while also living with joy and happiness, rather than pouring all of my auditory, physical, and mental energy into my job.

My last day is January 3, and while I have some bittersweet feelings, I am mostly proud of myself for prioritizing my health and future. I still want to become a mom and achieve other life goals. These aspirations mean far more to me than my current job, and I know that staying in this position would make reaching those goals increasingly unlikely given my condition.

With all that said, I am very aware of how blessed I am to be in a position to leave my job and take some time off. My husband does very well in his day job, and we also own rental properties that provide additional income. I am deeply grateful to be in this position.

Additionally, I highly recommend that anyone not working finds a sense of purpose. When I took my first leave and was grappling with the stages of grief over this condition, I let it consume me. I became obsessed with finding something that would "cure" my tinnitus, especially the reactivity component. I truly believe this hyperfixation made things worse, as I was constantly reinforcing to my brain how unbearable the condition was and that it needed to be resolved immediately.

It was not until I underwent intensive trauma therapy, retrained my brain to exit severe survival mode, and created goals and a sense of purpose for myself that I began to experience meaningful stability and improvement. This was not just habituation. I went from rarely leaving my house to attending a few Christmas parties with medium level sound, going to restaurants, and even enjoying nights out at bars, all without hearing protection. My tinnitus would reset during sleep or within a day.

I share all of this to say that I recommend extending your leave, if possible, for a few reasons. First, ears take a long time to heal, especially from noise trauma or infections. If you can, give your ears as much time as they need to recover from inflammation. During that time, it is crucial to fill your days with purpose. Focus on the mind body connection. Learn stress management techniques, adopt anti inflammatory eating habits, and explore supplements like Magnesium, Zinc, and Vitamin D for their immune and brain boosting benefits. Stay physically active, even if it is just a daily walk, and keep yourself preoccupied with goals, a daily routine, or meaningful activities.

One concern I have about not working is losing the daily distraction and sense of normalcy that work provides. Being "out in the world" and feeling like I could participate in life again was incredibly helpful to me. I will need to work on combating those old thought patterns that my brain still occasionally falls into. However, I am still in therapy and feel confident that I will handle things much better this time.

I apologize for such a lengthy response, but I have learned so much in the two years and three months since my life changed dramatically. I understand how difficult it is to navigate decision making and sacrifices when working in a school environment with this condition.

I wish you well, and I hope you know that this spike from your ear infection should continue to calm down with the right care.

Let me know if further adjustments are needed!