subject: Noise Greatly Contributes To Disease [print this page] Hearing is little affected by damage to the external pinnae. With the inner ear, however, especially after prolonged exposure to loud music, hearing loss is sure to come, according to an associate professor of audiology at the University of Iowa. The professor addressed a recent noise symposium at the University of Iowa sponsored by the Noise Technical Assistance Center through the US Environmental Protection Agency.
The tiny hair cells, called cilia, of the inner ear are destroyed by noise, which results in hearing defects. The brain receives and interprets electrical signals sent by the cilia every time they are stimulated.
It is natural that our hearing declines as we age. But through prolonged exposure to loud or constant noise we can accelerate the natural loss of hearing.
The cilia cannot be repaired or regenerated, unlike with other cells. The function of hearing aids is to increase volume, not to help distinguish sounds.
The onset of hearing loss begins with loss of soft, high frequency sounds. Later, the person feels isolated, as he can no longer participate in conversations, listen to TV or the radio, or talk on the phone.
The connection between hearing loss and noise is accepted, but less known is the hazardous effect of noise on health overall. People should realize that noise makes illnesses worse, but does not actually cause them.
Noise makes people stressed and lacking in sleep, which cause hypertension and ulcers. Loud noises trigger an adrenergic response, typically consisting of elevated blood pressure, increased breathing rate, and muscle tightening.
Not until the noise subsides does the stress response subside. This response can increase the occurrence of stress, high blood pressure, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, ulcers, headaches, asthma, colitis, as well as aggravating existing conditions. Lack of sleep has been the result of noise in many documented cases.
All you have to do is go out and talk to people who live in noisy areas. The effects of noise on sleep are both in terms of length and depth.
Noise may not bring one to a complete waking state, but it definitely brings one to a more shallow level of sleep. Not feeling as restored in the morning, our efficiency and eventually our health may be affected by noise in more remote ways than one.
Effects occur even in terms of emotion and behavior, with such extremes as anti-social behavior, suicide, and murder. It may even be too loud to hear cries for help.
Ear protection wear can be bought to decrease the effects of unavoidable exposure to loud or constant noise. The most effective protection devices are ear plugs and muffs.
They equal each other in terms of protection. Be that as it may, there is a cut-off point for protection. Very loud sounds will reach the inner ear through vibrations of the skull from the sound waves.
