Noise Masks Calls For Help

Hearing is little affected by damage to the external pinnae

. When noise damages the inner ear, there is hearing loss, according to an associate professor of audiology at the University of Iowa. There was a symposium at the University, sponsored by the Noise Technical Assistance Center through the US Environmental Protection Agency, at which the professor spoke.

Noise destroys cilia, tiny hair cells, in the inner ear, causing hearing loss. People perceive sound when vibrations reach the cilia in the inner ear, which send electrical signals to the brain for analysis. Sense of hearing deteriorates naturally as one grows older. There are many cases of hearing loss at younger ages, especially those related to prolonged exposure to loud noise.

Once the cilia are damaged they cannot regenerate like some other cells in our body. With hearing aids, sounds are amplified but not distinguished. Injury first results in the loss of soft, high sounds. Victims eventually feel isolated, as TV, radio, and even conversations become meaningless.

Although noise has long been well recognized as a cause of hearing loss, its recognition as a health hazard is just gaining acceptance. People should know that noise worsens certain conditions, but it does not directly cause it. Noise worsens stress and insomnia, which are aggravating conditions for hypertension and ulcers. Loud noise triggers a release of adrenaline into the bloodstream, causing elevated blood pressure, increased breathing rate, and muscle tightening.

The body does not know how to get accustomed to loud music, and the stress response continues as long as the noise does. Cases of stress, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, ulcers, headaches, asthma, and colitis have been known to increase or worsen due to this stress response. There has been much documentation of sleep disturbed by noise. You can get a testimonial from many victims of noise pollution. Both the quantity and quality of sleep are affected by noise.

While noise may not cause wakefulness, it will definitely make one's sleep more shallow. From drowsiness and inefficiency, other health problems may ensue. Anti-social behavior, suicide, and murder are extremes of the manipulation of emotions and behavior by noise. Worse, anyone calling for help may not be heard above the noise.

Ear protection devices can be used to negate the effects of loud or prolonged noise. Most effective are ear plugs and muffs. If fitted properly, both aids can be equally effective. A ceiling does exist for the amount of protection they can give. Conductive vibrations reach the inner ear right through the skull with very loud sounds.

by: Leonperez

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