Shooting Down Noise Pollution
Hearing is not diminished by damage to the external ear.
When noise damages the inner ear, there is hearing loss, according to an associate professor of audiology at the University of Iowa.
He presented as much in his paper for a recent noise symposium held at his University, 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.
Stimuli brush the cilia, which send electrical signals to the brain for perception.
The sense of hearing naturally declines with age.
There are many cases of hearing loss at younger ages, especially those related to prolonged exposure to loud noise.
Unlike skin cells, for example, cilia do not regenerate.
Sounds are amplified, not distinguished, by hearing aids.
Soft, high pitched sounds are the first sounds lost due to such injury.
With the progression of hearing loss comes a sense of isolation, as victims cannot hold conversations or even listen to the radio.
The effect of noise on hearing has been accepted, but its effect on overall health has not.
People should realize that noise makes illnesses worse, but does not actually cause them.
Noise worsens stress and insomnia, which are aggravating conditions for hypertension and ulcers.
Loud noises trigger an adrenergic response, typically consisting of elevated blood pressure, increased breathing rate, and muscle tightening.
This stress response continues unconsciously, even after we think we have become accustomed to the noise.
The results of the stress response include worsened or increased stress, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, ulcers, headaches, asthma, and colitis.
Lack of sleep has been the result of noise in many documented cases.
Many victims would testify to this.
Duration and depth of sleep are both affected by noise.
Even though we may not wake up when bothered by a noise, we may shift from deep sleep to a light sleep.
So many health problems can abound from lost sleep, starting with drowsiness and inefficiency.
Even emotions and behavior are affected, with extremes in terms of anti-social behavior, like suicides and murders.
Also, noise may muffle the sound of a warning signal or may cover shouts for help.
The effects of unavoidable exposure to loud or constant noise can be softened by ear protection gear.
Ear plugs and muffs are the best form of protection.
Neither out-performs the other.
But there is a limit to what ear protection can do.
Over a certain volume, vibrations from sound still reach the inner ear by shaking the skull.
When noise damages the inner ear, there is hearing loss, according to an associate professor of audiology at the University of Iowa.
He presented as much in his paper for a recent noise symposium held at his University, 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.
Stimuli brush the cilia, which send electrical signals to the brain for perception.
The sense of hearing naturally declines with age.
There are many cases of hearing loss at younger ages, especially those related to prolonged exposure to loud noise.
Unlike skin cells, for example, cilia do not regenerate.
Sounds are amplified, not distinguished, by hearing aids.
Soft, high pitched sounds are the first sounds lost due to such injury.
With the progression of hearing loss comes a sense of isolation, as victims cannot hold conversations or even listen to the radio.
The effect of noise on hearing has been accepted, but its effect on overall health has not.
People should realize that noise makes illnesses worse, but does not actually cause them.
Noise worsens stress and insomnia, which are aggravating conditions for hypertension and ulcers.
Loud noises trigger an adrenergic response, typically consisting of elevated blood pressure, increased breathing rate, and muscle tightening.
This stress response continues unconsciously, even after we think we have become accustomed to the noise.
The results of the stress response include worsened or increased stress, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, ulcers, headaches, asthma, and colitis.
Lack of sleep has been the result of noise in many documented cases.
Many victims would testify to this.
Duration and depth of sleep are both affected by noise.
Even though we may not wake up when bothered by a noise, we may shift from deep sleep to a light sleep.
So many health problems can abound from lost sleep, starting with drowsiness and inefficiency.
Even emotions and behavior are affected, with extremes in terms of anti-social behavior, like suicides and murders.
Also, noise may muffle the sound of a warning signal or may cover shouts for help.
The effects of unavoidable exposure to loud or constant noise can be softened by ear protection gear.
Ear plugs and muffs are the best form of protection.
Neither out-performs the other.
But there is a limit to what ear protection can do.
Over a certain volume, vibrations from sound still reach the inner ear by shaking the skull.
