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The loud noise exposure can certainly damage your hearing.
But more and more, scientists are discovering that too much noise can harm our health in other ways. Here's what you need to know about how our noisy world can affect you – and what you can do to protect yourself.
Regular exposure to loud noises has been associated with cardiovascular problems such as high blood pressure in many studies, said Liz Masterson, epidemiologist at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) of the Centers for Disease Control. A CDC study that she co-authored, published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine in 2018, found higher rates of hypertension and hypercholesterolemia in people who were regularly exposed at loud noises at work, which meant that several hours a day, several days a week, they had to raise their voices or shout to be heard from someone who stood a few meters away.
The researchers concluded that 14% of hypertension cases and 9% of high cholesterol cases were potentially due to noise exposure, possibly due to the stress of a noisy work environment.
"The body reacts to stress in a variety of ways, including increasing heart rate, raising blood pressure," she says.
The irritating effect of loud noises in your community can also affect health. In a study published in 2018 in the International Journal of Cardiology, German researchers found that the risk of atrial fibrillation was higher in people reporting being bothered by noises such as the roar of motors and horns of vehicles automobiles and construction vehicles in their vicinity. can lead to blood clots and strokes.
Noise in your environment can also prevent you from resting.
"The prevailing idea is that, if you live in a noisy community, noise disturbs your sleep, of course," says Richard Neitzel, an associate professor of environmental health sciences at the University of Michigan. And lack of sleep has been associated with obesity, diabetes and heart disease, among other health problems.
Finally, spending time in noisy environments can lead to poor food and beverage choices.
In a 2018 study published in the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Sciences, scientists found that restaurants and supermarkets bought healthier foods when music and sound were low and chose unhealthy foods when the volume was increased. Other studies have shown that an increase in music volume can lead to increased consumption of alcohol in bars and restaurants.
Noise hazards for children
Children may be particularly vulnerable to noise. A number of studies have linked increased noise exposure with lower cognitive abilities in children.
In a classic 1978 study, researchers evaluated children living in a medium-income housing complex built on a busy highway in New York City. Scientists found that children who lived on lower, noisier floors, closer to the highway, scored lower on reading tests than those living on higher, quieter floors.
More recently, an analysis of 34 studies conducted by the World Health Organization in 2018 established a link between noise exposure and a lower reading comprehension, standardized test results, and a memory-based memory. long term.
This connection makes sense, says Nicholas Reed, an assistant professor in the department of otorhinolaryngology-head and neck surgery at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. After all, who does not find it difficult to focus on a book if someone is vacuuming in the next room?
But there may be problems other than gambling distraction, says Reed. Scientists believe that noise could cause stress in children, just as in adults.
How to protect yourself
It is important to limit your exposure to loud noises, both to protect your hearing and to guard against other possible health effects. According to NIOSH, exposure to noise levels of 85 decibels (dBA) for more than eight hours a day can affect hearing. The louder the sound, the less time it takes to cause damage.
For example, a sound level of 100 dBA, similar to that of a car horn a few feet away or a sporting event, can cause damage after only 15 minutes, according to NIOSH. (The horn of the car will not last as long, but a football match will certainly do it.)
Even if you may not be able to get away from a noisy neighborhood or work in a quieter environment, consider the following steps:
● Wear hearing protection, such as earmuffs or ear plugs, when you know that you may be exposed to loud sounds (and that you also put them on children). This includes concerts and sporting events – where, says Reed, fans are often encouraged to be as loud as possible – but also movie theaters and fireworks. Even a very energetic exercise class where the music is set to maximum could get into the danger zone, Reed explains. In this case, try to ask the class instructor to lower the music or wear earplugs.
● Check your place of work. If you are exposed to loud or prolonged noise at work, your employer should provide you with hearing protection. But according to NIOSH, they should also strive to eliminate or replace noisy equipment, remove noise sources from employees, or limit people's exposure to harmful noises. For more information on the measures recommended by employers to protect the workers' audience, visit the NIOSH website.
● Limit your exposure to loud noises around your home, especially outdoor electrical equipment. Lawn mowers, snow blowers, trimmers and other power tools can reach sound levels high enough to cause hearing damage if you use them for 15 minutes or half an hour. Make sure you have hearing protection when using these tools.
● Be careful with the headphones. CR recommends the 60/60 rule: do not listen for more than 60% of the maximum volume for more than 60 minutes a day. Children and adolescents should also respect this rule. According to the CDC, no less than 12.5% of children and adolescents aged 6 to 19 have ever had hearing damage.
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