What is noise pollution?
The traditional definition of noise is unwanted or disturbing sound. Sound becomes unwanted if it disturbs the quality of our life. The air around us is constantly filled with sounds, yet we fail to accept that we are surrounded by noise. The escalating noise can have deleterious effects on our health.
What is the acceptable noise level at work or at home?
Decibel or dB is a unit to measure the relative loudness of sounds. One dB unit change yields over a 7% change in loudness. A 3 dB change yields over a 23% increase in loudness. Decibel is a unit to express the intensity of sound. It has been named after the inventor Alexander Graham Bell. Sounds below 70 dB are considered safe. Any sound at or above 85 decibels is more likely to damage your hearing over time. Human screams can be quite loud exceeding 100 dB . The world record for screaming is 129 dB.
What are the health effects of noise?
Noise health effects are the physical and psychological health consequences of regular exposure to consistently high levels of sound exposure. Long-term exposure to high decibel sound can lead to hearing loss. It can cause tinnitus, which is ringing sounds in the ears.
Can noise pollution affect our heart and blood pressure?
Loud exposure to sounds is known to cause hypertension, vasoconstriction, and other cardiovascular effects. not allow blood pressure to fall asleep and rise in the morning.
How do elevated noise levels affect our health at our workplace?
This leads to increase levels of workplace accident rates. People tend to be aggressive if exposed to high decibel noise. Some anti-social behavior is associated with a loud noise.
What are the most significant sources of noise pollution? Vehicles, aircraft, prolonged exposure to loud music, and industrial noise.
What are the effects of cardiovascular diseases?
The incidence of hypertension increases due to high We are aware of air pollution or river pollution. However sound pollution is often not given the importance it deserves. Noise pollution has many health implications and hence should not be ignored. In fact, high decibel noise can affect our health quite adversely and some changes caused by longstanding noise pollution can have irreversible effects on our bodies. Approximately 10,000 deaths are reported per year as a result of noise only in the European Union.
What are the other effects on our health of noise pollution?
Chronic exposure to loud sounds can lead to sleep disturbances and an increased incidence of diabetes. The sympathetic system is unable to adjust to loud noise. This leads to lighter stages of sleep, this does levels of stress hormones and oxidative stress. Higher noise levels at night may increase the risk of myocardial infarction by chronically elevating cortisol production. Traffic noise particularly at night is associated with an increased risk of coronary artery disease, nighttime exposure to sound is more dangerous than daytime exposure. If you have sur-rounding areas where railways ply, particularly near residential areas, this causes the greatest cardiovascular effects. Roadway noise levels are sufficient to constrict arterial blood flow and cause hypertension. Traffic noise may also increase the risk of sleep disturbances, stroke, diabetes, and being overweight.
What are the psychological impacts of noise?
Annoyance and negative effects on psychological well-being are demonstrated. Exposure to intense levels of noise can lead to personality change and violent reactions. Depression and anxiety can be due to hearing loss. People who do not seek treatment are at risk of depression.
What about child development and noise pollution?
A number of physical and psychological effects can occur in young children. Children who regularly use music players at high volumes are at risk of getting hearing problems. In 2001, it was estimated that 12.5% of American children between the ages of 6 to19 years had impaired hearing in one or both ears. Loud sounds at home or at the workplace can have multiple health consequences. In this fast-developing globe, we must also enjoy the sound of silence as much as possible.
