| Bob Seger, Jeff Beck, Sting, Eric Clapton, Peter | | | | percent to 25 percent drop in coronary disease. |
| Frampton and Bob Dylan all have something in | | | | Where is All This Loud Noise Coming From? Noise |
| common. Their years of hard rocking have left a | | | | from all over -- work, traffic, music, TVs, |
| mark on more than just their fans -- after years | | | | industry, people and more -- exists like never |
| of exposure to loud noise, they all now have | | | | before. As a result, much of the population is now |
| hearing impairments. But these hard rockers are | | | | experiencing related hearing loss and other |
| not alone. Exposure to excessive noise is, in fact, | | | | problems. "There's no question that baby boomers |
| the most common cause of hearing loss and the | | | | have been exposed to different sources of noise |
| most common work-related disease. Some 10 | | | | than any generation before them," says Dr. |
| million Americans already have permanently | | | | James F. Battey Jr., director of NIDCD. "We're |
| damaged hearing from loud noise. Another 30 | | | | certainly seeing people in their 40s and 50s who |
| million are at risk right now in their homes, | | | | notice their hearing is not as good as it used to |
| workplace and recreational settings, according to | | | | be." Younger people are also at risk of future |
| the National Institute on Deafness and Other | | | | problems, as exposure to noise via earbuds or |
| Communication Disorders (NIDCD). Surprisingly, | | | | headphones attached to MP3 players and other |
| though, hearing loss is only one health risk that | | | | media devices is common. Many people may not |
| arises from loud noise exposure. There are | | | | even realize that they are listening to music at |
| several other, serious, risks as well. According to | | | | harmful levels. An April 2005 study by National |
| Eddie Chandler, a stress management specialist, " | | | | Acoustics Laboratories in Australia, published in the |
| ... Sounds can literally make you sick. Noise pollution | | | | International Journal of Audiology, found that 25 |
| can increase your stress levels and create severe | | | | percent of people wearing headphones who were |
| tension in your daily life. It can increase your heart | | | | stopped on city streets were listening at |
| rate, raise your blood pressure and even result in | | | | damaging volumes. "Safe" Noise Levels A safe |
| insomnia." Acoustic Neuroma Tumor A study to | | | | average of noise for a 24-hour day is 70 dB, |
| be published in the February 2006 Journal of | | | | according to the U.S. Environmental Protection |
| Epidemiology found that several years of | | | | Agency. Any noise that reaches 85 dB or more |
| repeated exposure to loud noise increases the | | | | can damage your hearing, but even a softer noise |
| risk of developing a non-cancerous tumor that | | | | can harm your health if it keeps you up at night |
| could cause hearing loss. People exposed to loud | | | | (a 45-dB noise is loud enough to keep the |
| noise were 1.5 times more likely to develop the | | | | average person awake) or irritates you. To put |
| tumor, called acoustic neuroma, than people who | | | | things into perspective, here's a list of some |
| weren't exposed to loud noise on a regular basis. | | | | common noise measurements: Quiet home: 20 dB |
| The slow-growing tumor gradually presses the | | | | Normal talking: 40 dB Ringing telephone: 60 dB Air |
| cranial nerve that senses sound and helps with | | | | conditioner: 75 dB Heavy traffic: 90 dB Subway |
| balance. Symptoms, which typically become | | | | train, honking horns, jack hammers: About 100 dB |
| noticeable at age 50 or older, include hearing loss | | | | Typical nightclub: 110 dB Ears register pain: 120 dB |
| and ringing in the ears (tinnitus). Noise Increases | | | | Loud music, jet take-off: About 120 dB |
| Heart Attack Risk Prolonged exposure to high | | | | Noise-Reducing Tips To keep noise to a minimum |
| noise levels also increases the risk of a heart | | | | in your home, or to protect your hearing if you |
| attack, according to a study published in the | | | | must be in a noisy environment, try these tips |
| European Heart Journal. The study involved 4,000 | | | | from the previous article "Noise Pollution: How Bad |
| people who had been admitted to Berlin hospitals | | | | is it, How Bad Could it Get, What are the |
| from 1998 to 2001. When it came to | | | | Effects?": Wear earplugs in noisy places Turn |
| environmental noise (heavy traffic, machines like | | | | down the volume on radios, personal headsets |
| lawn mowers, yelling kids and barking dogs), it | | | | and TVs Try muting your TV during the |
| was found that: Men who were exposed for a | | | | commercials, or leaving it off all together and |
| prolonged length of time had a 50 percent higher | | | | reading a book instead Sound-treat your home by |
| risk of heart attack than those not exposed. | | | | putting heavy curtains on windows, rugs on the |
| Women who had been exposed to noise had a | | | | floors and sealing all air leaks Consider adding |
| three times higher risk. "We feel that, if you have | | | | acoustical tile to your ceilings and walls Put on |
| a higher and longer exposure to noise, either | | | | some light music, like the Pure Relaxation CD, to |
| environmental or workplace noise, you are at a | | | | buffer outside noise that you can't control Use |
| higher risk for a heart attack," said lead | | | | sound-blocking headphones to listen to music/TV |
| investigator Dr. Stefan Willich. Risk of High Blood | | | | without the disturbance of outside noises, and |
| Pressure Goes Up Another study by University of | | | | without disturbing those around you Look for |
| Michigan researchers, published in the Archives of | | | | quieter home appliances Take a drive in a rural |
| Environmental Health, found that working in a loud | | | | area to escape city noise for a day This article |
| environment raises blood pressure levels. They | | | | was provided by the world's #1 most popular and |
| outfitted workers at a Midwest auto-assembly | | | | trusted holistic living e-newsletter -- FREE to you |
| plant with monitors to take blood pressure | | | | right now at The old way of thinking: "holistic |
| readings and record noise levels throughout the | | | | living" pertains only to personal health. The new |
| day. It was found that while blood pressure was | | | | way of thinking: "holistic living" means prevention |
| affected by overall noise exposure, peaks in noise | | | | of the negative and adherence to the positive in |
| affected heart rate. Also, an increase of 10 | | | | all SIX practical areas of life: relationships, finances, |
| decibels in average noise exposure resulted in a | | | | career, home environment, safety and health. |
| systolic blood pressure increase of 2 millimeters. | | | | With the e-newsletter, you will get holistic wisdom |
| To put things in perspective, reducing systolic | | | | from the world's top experts in all six of these |
| blood pressure by 6 millimeters (for the | | | | areas -- completely FREE with a simple sign-up |
| long-term) has been associated with a 35 percent | | | | (and a guaranteed no-spam policy! |
| to 40 percent reduction in strokes and a 20 | | | | |