Q: I suffered from hearing loss in my left ear due to mumps in my childhood. My right ear is perfectly normal. While travelling and going to the market, I cannot hear exactly what people speak, because of noise coming from all directions. Otherwise its perfectly fine. I am working in a power generation industry. I am surrounded by noise coming from motor engines all the time. Sometimes I can't hear what others are saying. I also hear a continuous noise in my right ear. Is it advisable for me to continue the same job? Will this affect me in future? I am going to get married, should I tell my life partner about all this?

A:If you have lost hearing in one ear, the other ear is very precious. And you have to be careful that it does not lose hearing. Noise exposure is a very important cause of hearing loss. Unless you have adequate ear protection like earmuffs, which your employer is legally supposed to provide if the noise exposure is above the recommended standards, it is not advisable for you to continue in an environment with very high noise levels.