Noise pollution affects health and well-being
Peace and quiet can be hard to come by in the city. Noise is everywhere. We learn to ignore it but noise pollution affects our health and well-being.
It begins in the morning with the grinding noise of the coffee grinder or juicer. Driving to work in traffic, you turn the radio up to drown out the sound of the eighteen wheeler’s engine. If you sleep in on a Saturday morning you know your neighbor will crank up the lawnmower and then the leaf blower.
The National Institutes of Health reports that 22 million Americans between the ages of 22 and 69 have permanently damaged their hearing by exposure to loud noise. The blast of a fire cracker nearby can destroy hearing in a instant. Repeated exposure to loud engines like motorcycles or portable music players damage hearing more gradually. Loud noise levels damage hearing by destroying delicate hair cells and their auditory connection. Prolonged exposure to noise over 85 decibels is enough to cause hearing loss. A normal conversation is about 60 decibels. Noise also is a factor in loss of sleep, stress and high blood pressure. It interferes with the tranquility a quiet moment can bring.
To protect your hearing, wear protective devices such as ear plugs when involved with loud equipment. Lower the volume on portable music players. Be alert to hazardous noise in the environment. Avoid using loud equipment when you know it will interfere in the sleep or tranquility of someone else.