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