Tinnitus seems like one of those problems a person should be able to easily shrug off.

After all, what’s a little ringing in the ears?

But tinnitus can have a significant impact on a person’s career, a new study says.

Nearly 1 in 5 adults say tinnitus has caused them to cut their working hours or quit their job altogether, researchers recently reported in the journal Brain Sciences.

“For some individuals, tinnitus is far more than a persistent sound,” lead researcher Eldr Beukes, an assistant professor of audiology at Anglia Ruskin University in England, said in a news release. “It can be a barrier to maintaining stable employment and workplace well-being, and often co-occurs with hearing loss, anxiety or sleep difficulties.”

Tinnitus is a ringing, buzzing or hissing that people hear when no sound is present, researchers said in background notes. It’s estimated to affect about 15% of people.

For the new study, researchers surveyed 449 adults with tinnitus, asking how the disorder had affected them on the job. Participants had an average age of 54.

About 7% said tinnitus had forced them to leave employment altogether, and another 11% said it led them to reduce their working hours.

Tinnitus caused such workplace challenges as trouble concentrating, reduced productivity and difficulty communicating, those surveyed said. Many also reported they had more fatigue, worked more slowly and were more prone to errors.

Overall, 72% said tinnitus had made their working lives more difficult.

However, there is hope for limiting tinnitus’ impact on a person’s work life.

Of those surveyed, 200 completed an internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy course for coping with tinnitus. The program taught coping mechanisms for dealing with tinnitus.

After completing the program, significantly fewer participants said they needed to work reduced hours, researchers said. They also had less distress, anxiety, depression and insomnia from their tinnitus.

“Workplaces should recognize tinnitus as a condition that can affect productivity and may require reasonable adjustments,” Beukes said. “Policies supporting flexible work patterns, access to hearing-related technologies and improved awareness among managers could make it easier for those affected to stay in work.”

Results are preliminary, she said, and a control group would be needed to confirm the findings, they offer promising evidence that targeted interventions may help people stay effective and engaged in their jobs.

“Offering timely support may also reduce the personal costs and the broader financial impact on the economy that is associated with reduced work capacity,” Beukes added.