To Your Health: Noise pollution can have long-term consequences
By GILLIAN SLADE on September 23, 2019.
gslade@medicinehatnews.com
It was one of those glorious summer evenings that was warm enough to be dressed in shorts and sandals and I was enjoying sitting outside sipping a glass of ice water with a slice of lemon.
There was no wind and it was about 8:30 p.m. – long past any rush hour period for traffic. The noise in the distance of vehicles on the highway could not be ignored though and it marred the sounds of birds and creatures settling down for the night.
Noise pollution is bad for your health and there can be long-term negative consequences.
Perhaps I am more sensitive to noise than others. I will not drive with a car window open because the noise from a truck, semi or motorcycle can make me want to scream.
Place a heavy equipment vehicle outside my home, with accompanying noise, and if it does not stop within five minutes I will have to close all the windows in my home.
Those all the outside noises.
Inside the home there is the food mixers, microwave, vacuum cleaner, washing machine, hair dryer and air conditioner all adding to the accumulative noise we are bombarded with.
Information accessible online indicates your refrigerator noise level could be 45 decibels. A document, Noise in the Home, released by the League for the Hard of Hearing, says dishwashers, vacuum cleaners and hair dryers can reach and exceed 90 decibels.
Traffic noise is about 85 decibels, motorcycles 95 decibels, sirens 120 decibels while firecrackers and firearms are about 150 decibels.
Exposure to noise can result in hearing loss, high blood pressure, heart disease and affect your sleep.
There is research to show that noise can adversely affect our immune system, increase accidents in the work place and trigger aggression.
The World Health Organization says the impact of noise can result in reduced productivity, difficulty learning, employees skipping days at work and increased use of medication.
The European Union calculated and estimated the cost of traffic noise to be about 40 billion Euros every year. It adversely affects the health of one in every three people.
Exposure to noise can in fact change the structure of the hair cells in the ear. In addition to hearing loss there can be constant ringing or a clicking sound.
Perhaps you are thinking there is nothing you can do to control the noise you are exposed to. In many respects that is true but there are some things you can do.
Where possible limit your exposure to noise. You can use ear plugs or ear protectors. You can adapt your home to limit the noise level too. Acoustical tiles absorb sound as do heavy drapes and wall to wall carpeting rather than hardwood or vinyl flooring.
You have perhaps noticed that you turn up the volume of the radio, TV and music when your windows are open as opposed to being closed.
The Noise Abatement Society in England is steadily pushing for manufacturers to reduce the sound of machinery and appliances.
When you are shopping for new appliances look for a noise rating and if there isn’t one call up the manufacturer and ask for one. If enough people ask for this we can persuade manufacturers that it is important to us,
Here’s to less noise and here’s To Your Health.
To Your Health is a weekly column by Gillian Slade, health reporter for the News, bringing you news on health issues and research from around the world. You can reach her at
gslade@medicinehatnews.com or 403-528-8635.
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