Watch your step!

Noise pollution:

by Rosanne Koelmeyer Anderson

How loud is too loud? Noise pollution has become an absolute menace today. You sometimes wonder if people are really not quite disciplined or rather are they short of hearing. As a matter of fact I think it could be both.

It is said that prolonged exposure to sounds louder than 85 decibels dB can cause gradual hearing loss. A normal conversation is about 60 dB. Many personal stereo systems at maximum level are over 100 dB while Rock concerts and firecrackers can be 140 dB and higher.

The blast of a firecracker at close range can cause hearing loss in an instant. Repeated exposures to loud engines like motorcycles or long hours spent listening to loud MP3s and other portable music players can cause gradual deterioration in hearing.

Psychologists says subjected to 45 decibels of noise, the average person cannot sleep and at 120 decibels the ear registers pain, but hearing damage begins at a much lower level, about 85 decibels.

In Sri Lanka where ever you are be it in a shopping mall, in your bedroom, on the road or even in a library for that matter it goes without saying, it is noisy. Road indiscipline is the biggest contributor. Laws in many other countries do not permit you to beep a vehicle horn, you may be subject to a fine; but we Sri Lankans are just the contrary.

From the crack of dawn we are shaken up by loud sounds outside, some in an incredible hurry, sitting on the horn as it were, the frequent chanting of religious prayers hitting your brain like thunder or the lighting of firecrackers which will send your heart pounding for a while not knowing whether it was gunshots of what in the world? Noise pollution is soon becoming a major threat to the quality of human lives and the physiological and psychological deterioration that accompanies it is inevitable.

Scientists once believed that loud noises damage hair cells by the pure force of the loud sound vibrations however recent studies, have found that exposure to noise triggers the formation of molecules called free radicals that are known to kill off hair cells.

Noise-induced hearing loss usually happens slowly, with no pain. Right after exposure to noise, you may notice some 'ringing' in your ears and you might have trouble hearing people when they speak.

But the danger is that although it may disappear after some time when you are exposed to loud noise repeatedly, you could have hearing loss that lasts forever. Apart from hearing loss, such noise can cause lack of sleep, irritability, heartburn, indigestion, ulcers, high blood pressure, and possibly heart disease.

One burst of noise, as from a passing truck, is known to alter endocrine, neurological, and cardiovascular functions in many individuals while prolonged or frequent exposure to such noise tends to make the physiological disturbances chronic. In addition, noise-induced stress creates severe tension in daily living and contributes to mental illness.

So why do we want to deliberately give into slow death when all it takes is a little time off to genuinely discipline yourself. To protect your hearing, practice good hearing health in your everyday life.

Turn down the volume on all household noise sources and wear hearing protection when you mow the lawn, vacuum, blow dry your hair or operate power tools. Encourage children to wear hearing protection in noisy environments and take the time to show them how to prevent hearing damage from MP3 and other portable music players. Make hearing health a part of ones lifestyle.

My mother may have been right when she told me to turn down the volume when I was schooling but she probably knew the consequences. Too much noise not only pollutes the environment; it can permanently damage your hearing.

A study reveals that approximately 22 million Americans between the ages of 20 and 69 suffer permanent hearing damage by being exposed to loud sounds. It's easier than you think to permanently damage your hearing.

The blast of a firecracker at close range can do it in an instant. Repeated exposures to loud engines like motorcycles or long hours spent listening to loud MP3 and other portable music players can erode hearing more slowly.

If you're a construction worker, farmer, factory worker or airline employee, harmful sounds may be a regular part of your job which are inevitable. Harmful noises at home range from vacuum cleaners, gas-powered lawn mowers, and shop tools while noisy recreational activities include target shooting and hunting, woodworking and other noisy hobbies.

Having a hassle with noise or noisy people around you just walk away for a while it will certainly help calm your nerves?

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