Noise in health: What is noise pollution?

The noise pollution It is an important environmental problem that is increasingly present in modern society and that is given by the development of industrial activities, transport, construction and recreational or recreational activities.

What is it and how does it affect noise pollution?

The presence of noise pollution has a series of effects on habitual activities, interfering with spoken communication and alternating sleep, preventing concentration and generating states that can facilitate hearing diseases, nervous and cardiovascular type.

The effects produced by noise pollution are a function of the intensity, the frequencies emitted and the time of exposure to which we are subjected.

Causes and sources of noise pollution

There are various sources of noise in cities. The main ones are traffic, human activity, industrial activity, the construction of buildings, recreational activities (music and entertainment venues), airplanes and animals. Among all of them, traffic stands out as the first source, due, among other things, to the increase in the number of cars and the fact that cities are largely not designed or adapted to support means of transport. Noise is measured in decibels (dB).

Noise levels:

• Very low: 10 and 30 dB (libraries).
• Low: between 30 and 55 dB. A report by the World Health Organization (WHO) considers the 50 dB as the desirable upper limit.
• Noisy: from 65 dB, the level is considered noisy. The 80 dB they are achieved, for example, with a noisy street, a lively bar, an assembly line, a bus engine ...

The World Health Organization (WHO) considers 65 dB as the desirable upper limit.

Some data on noise pollution provided by reports from the European Union:

• A quarter of the community population is exposed to noise levels above the tolerance limit, 65 decibels (dB). As a reference, it should be noted that in a normal conversation between 50 dB and 60 dB are recorded, while the motor of a bus is 70 dB.
• Spain, behind Japan, is the second country with the highest rate of population exposed to high noise levels.

Health effects of noise

The human ear is constructed in such a way that it can only withstand without damage an acoustic load that is within very specific parameters.

One of the problems of noise pollution is that when we detect the first symptoms of damage, disorders have already occurred in our body.

Some red flags that the surrounding noise is too loud may be if you have to shout to be heard over the noise or if you cannot understand someone who is speaking at a short distance. The deafness or hearing loss appears with levels of 90 dB and above maintained. One reason people don't notice the damage that noise does is because too much exposure to noise causes few symptoms. Hearing loss is rarely painful.

Some signs that can indicate hearing loss include: feeling of heaviness in the ears or plugging, buzzing, hearing muffled noises and above all not hearing loud noises, when you are in a crowd or in a place with a lot of background noise . If the damage continues, hearing diminishes further and low-pitched sounds become difficult to understand.

Other health effects or consequences that noise produces in addition to hearing include: psychological disorders such as irritable and aggressive behaviors,; physiological (increased heart rate, blood pressure and respiratory rate); sleep and rest disturbances leading to inattention and learning, daytime sleepiness, tiredness, and poor performance. Sleep disturbance with its notable consequences in daily activity is one of the main consequences of this problem.

Solutions and preventive measures for noise pollution

On the one hand, the protection and prevention of noise pollution is the responsibility of official bodies and directives who establish noise exposure limits. Municipal regulations must ensure compliance with current legislation.

On the other hand, you can break the habit of noise and try to protect yourself from it.

In the house

• Unless you live in rural areas, small cities with little traffic or isolated places, it is not easy to protect yourself from noise pollution.
• However, it is possible to optimize the conditions of the home to protect the home from noise attacks as much as possible and to enjoy a night's sleep.
• When building the houses, a good acoustic insulation must be taken into account. Some precautions or measures to get a better sound insulation They include using noise-absorbing materials (such as rubber mats) under noisy kitchen appliances, computers, and noise-generating electronics. The presence of curtains and carpets help to reduce noise inside the house as well as double pane windows.
• Walls covered with rough or painted paper absorb noise better.
• Preferably choose homes away from factories, dense traffic areas and opt for homes near parks, green areas or pedestrians.

In daily life

• Try to reduce exposure to noise, whenever possible.
• Choose leisure activities in places with no noise.
• Use special ear muffs if the exposure is especially risky (working with heavy machinery) or ear plugs when you are going to be exposed to noise for long periods of time.
• Do not use several noisy machines at the same time or for example a common habit that is to have several devices turned on at high volume at home (television, radio, etc.).
• Do not try to avoid disturbing noises with other loud sounds. Then, wearing ear plugs.

In traffic

Keep the vehicle in good condition, especially the muffler. Respect the Speed ​​limits Y just use the horn in those cases that it is necessary. Make use of public transport and use ecological means of transport such as bicycles.

Music devices

Due to its widespread and common use, there is concern about the effect that MP3 players may have on hearing. This is basically related to the volume and duration of the sound. One of the problems is that, with these devices, the volume is often high and it is also received directly into the ear. In addition, due also to its comfort and ease of use you can listen to music for a long period of time a day.

Measures to use them correctly and avoid undesirable effects on hearing mainly include the proper volume setting at home or in a place without noise, but we tend to put it very high to block out noise from outside. The volume should allow us to hear the sounds outside. Also try to limit its daily use and not exceed 2-3 hours a day.

At work

Work is a risky place where exposure to noise can be very important as there are important sources of auditory insults. Occupational risk prevention aims to address these risks, although they are not always carried out or avoided, educating employees prevention measures (such as ear muffs, earplugs, taking periodic breaks, etc).

It must also be taken into account that the risk of hearing loss increases both with the supported decibel level as with the number of years that we remain exposed to noise due to the noise pollution.

is even recognized as «professional illness«, For certain work activities, as long as the cause-effect relationship is verified.

Finally, medical recommendations include periodic hearing exams in the general population and especially in groups at risk of hearing loss (annual check-ups), for example, those exposed routinely or with some frequency to loud noise at work. With insurance you will have the specialized care you need to take care of your ears and.