Noise is not only a nuisance but a hazard to health & the wellbeing
NOISE AND YOUR HEALTH
Our scope is to raise awareness to the harmful effect of noise to the health & wellbeing .
Sound is Essential Noise is Not
How to reduce the effects of unwanted sound
Noise is a global phenomenon. Work environments, community noise, even our homes, are filled with acute and chronic sounds that may negatively affect our health and well-being.
The challenge is to reduce the levels of noise and give our nerves and immune systems a reprieve. If given a chance, our bodies are self-balancing.
Create time every day to relax and take a few moments for yourself. Enjoy a regular “silence break.” Stop. Just for a minute, maybe two. Take a deep breath and listen for the silence. Perhaps we cannot totally turn off the noise, but we can listen for the spaces between the sounds. Create your quiet corner and use it frequently.
Other methods
Low levels of noise may be overcome using additional absorbing material, such as heavy drapery or sound-absorbent tiles in enclosed rooms.
A small white-noise source such as static or rushing air, placed in the room, can mask the sounds of conversation from adjacent rooms without being offensive or dangerous to the ears of people working nearby.
Use of hearing protectors, there are different types with different NRR which can worn either in the ear, over the ear or on the ear. The NRR is an indication of the noise reduction properties of the ear protectors. Reference to ear protectors at more > ear protection
What is tinnitus?
Tinnitus is a physical condition, experienced as noises or ringing in a person’s ears or head, when no such external physical noise is present. Tinnitus is not a disease in itself. It is a symptom of a fault in a person’s auditory (hearing) system, which includes the ears and the brain. The word ‘tinnitus’ is from the Latin for ‘tinkling or ringing like a bell’.
What causes tinnitus?
• Hearing loss. Doctors and scientists have discovered that people with different kinds of hearing loss also have tinnitus.
• Loud noise. Too much exposure to loud noise can cause noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus.
• Medicine. More than 200 medications can cause tinnitus. If you have tinnitus and you take medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist whether your medicine could be involved.
• Other health problems. Allergies, tumours, and problems in the heart and blood vessels, jaws, and neck can cause tinnitus.
How to Cope
Although there is no cure, some causes of tinnitus are treatable. Tinnitus can be managed with some lifestyle changes.
Tinnitus does not have to dramatically affect your quality of life. You should avoid focusing too much attention on your tinnitus and take steps to manage the condition. Avoid excessive noise, and find relaxation and stress management techniques that work for you.Loud noise will make tinnitus worse.
Avoid loud nightclubs or use ear protection. If you have to shout to make yourself heard when someone is standing about one metre from you, the noise level is too loud and will make your tinnitus worse.
NOISE A HEALTH HAZARD
“Noise pollution is not only an environmental nuisance but also a threat to public health,” says Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe. “We hope that this new evidence will prompt governments and local authorities to introduce noise control policies at the national and local levels, thus protecting the health of Europeans from this growing hazard
Noise exposure can cause two kinds of health effects, non-auditory effects and auditory effects. Non-auditory effects include stress, related physiological and behavioural effects, and safety concerns. Auditory effects include hearing impairment resulting from excessive noise exposure. Noise-induced permanent hearing loss is the main concern related to occupational noise exposure.....CCHOS
How the Ear works..
The Outer Ear
The auricle (pinna) is the visible portion of the outer ear. It collects sound waves and channels them into the external auditory meatus (ear canal) where the sound is amplified.
The sound waves then travel toward a flexible, oval membrane at the end of the external auditory meatus called the tympanic membrane (eardrum). The tympanic membrane begins to vibrate.
The Middle Ear
The vibrations from the eardrum set the ossicles into motion. The ossicles are three tiny bones (smallest in the human body): malleus (hammer), incus (anvil) and stapes (stirrup) which further amplify the sound.
The stapes attaches to the oval window that connects the middle ear to the inner ear. The Eustachian tube, which opens into the middle ear, is responsible for equalizing the pressure between the air outside the ear to that within the middle ear.
The Inner Ear
The sound waves enter the inner ear and then into the cochlea, a snail shaped organ. The cochlea is filled with a fluid that moves in response to the vibrations from the oval window. As the fluid moves, 25,000 nerve endings are set into motion. These nerve endings transform the vibrations into electrical impulses that then travel along the VIII cranial nerve (auditory nerve) to the brain.
The brain then interprets these signals and this is how we hear. The inner ear also contains the vestibular organ that is responsible for balance.