Negative effect of noise on the human body

Despite the undeniable benefits that civilization and technological progress bring to people's lives, there are a number of related factors that negatively affect human life and health. How often, in response to the question, what would we like at some point in life, we tiredly say - silence. At times, it seems that noise haunts us everywhere - at home, at work, in public transport, in the store ...

Warning: noise

It is like a huge octopus squeezing us with its tenacious tentacles, leaving no chance of salvation.

They say that the enemy must be known in person in order to successfully deal with him. To do this, we need to understand the nature of this phenomenon, find out the possible consequences of the negative impact of noise on the human body, and ways to avoid them.

What is noise

Noise is a random combination of sounds of varying strength and frequency that can have an adverse effect on the human body.

From a physical point of view, noise is any unfavorably perceived sound.

Noises are classified according to various principles: by the nature of the occurrence, by the frequency, time characteristics and by the nature of the spectrum.

From the point of view of human exposure, noise is estimated in the frequency range from 45 to 11 thousand Hz, which includes nine octave bands.

Battlefield

Having learned the definition of noise, we can consider in detail the circumstances that are accompanied by the negative impact of sounds and noise on the human body. It will not be a problem for us to outline the battlefield, since, unfortunately, there are very few places on our planet where we could hide from this problem - and they often exist only in our illusory dreams.

Noise accompanies us everywhere. In the table below we will find examples of situations that we face in our lives, and find out what noise level accompanies them. The noise level is measured in decibels (dB), and 1 dB is the lowest noise level that a person can barely pick up.

Sound Level Data We Hear

From the above data, we can draw disappointing conclusions that even those places that seemed safe and suitable for temporary respite to us cannot provide us with complete protection. Of course, we can avoid being in the inhabited compartment of the tank and skip such an important event as launching a rocket, but without most of the above actions, we can hardly imagine our life.

And pay attention to the fact that the sound of dance music in a nightclub is equivalent to the noise level of a jackhammer - and we call it relaxation, while even words uttered in a whisper at night can bring discomfort. And which of the following is included in the concept of the norm?

Acceptable Sound Levels

The acceptable sound level that does not cause harmful effects to humans is considered to be 55 decibels (dB) in the daytime and 40 decibels in the night.

A prolonged exposure to noise of 70-90 decibels can lead to diseases of the nervous system, and a noise level of more than 100 decibels can cause hearing loss up to complete deafness, and the harm from loud music can significantly exceed the pleasure.

Fatal to humans, the noise level is the sound of an explosion - 200 decibels.

Negative effect of noise on the human body

The negative impact of noise is not limited to exposure to the human hearing system. The effects of noise on the human body can lead to problems such as dizziness, fatigue, drowsiness, or sleep disturbances. With prolonged exposure to noise, emotional instability, deterioration of appetite occurs, and more dangerous symptoms may appear in the form of malfunctions of the cardiovascular system. Noise above 90 dB with a predominance of high frequencies can cause arterial hypertension, and broadband noise can lead to malfunctions in the peripheral circulation. Where do we hide from this impact?

My home is my castle

But, unfortunately, not in relation to protection from the effects of noise and music on the human body. An alarm clock of 80 decibels serves us as a guide on every new day, and even the favorite melody installed on our phone cannot save us from the stress we experience, perceiving the process of awakening as almost an act of violence, roughly tearing us out of the dream world and dreams. Making a cup of aromatic coffee is accompanied by the noise of a coffee machine, literally tearing apart the crystal silence of the early morning.

We open the window to let in the invigorating fresh air and the caressing sound of birds singing, but instead the noise of passing cars bursts into our house. And in the evening, having come home after a tiring and noisy day, we turn on the TV and try to pass the fleeting moments of rest under the decibels of television broadcasts (this is even if we are lucky with neighbors who at this time will not try to blow our brains by installing a suspended ceiling). We may not even notice how under the influence of noise we are in a state of constant irritation - all this translates into a state of apathy and depression, causing aggression, which we break down on our loved ones.

How to limit the effects of noise in everyday life?

What can we do to neutralize the harmful effects of noise on the human body?

Let's look at the options:

• When choosing household appliances, give preference to more silent devices.
• Use additional wall insulation in the apartment or house.
• Use special linings for kitchen equipment, washing machines and dishwashers.
• Limit daily listening to loud music, television broadcasts, computer work.
• When doing noisy work, take a 10-minute break every hour or listen to soothing music.
• Follow the conversation: do not scream or raise your voice.
• Regularly undergo a medical examination.
• Give preference to outdoor recreation.

Subjective perception of noise

The reaction of people to noise is different and its perception is quite subjective. Take, for example, the case when the alarm went off on our brand new loaned foreign car. At a time when half of the house, awakened by a wild, by their perception, roar, recalls us with all decent (or not quite decent) words, experiencing an extreme degree of irritation, we perceive this noise as an extremely important signal and impulse to action for us.

Have you noticed the expression on the face of the driver of the car with state numbers flying with the blinker on along the freed highway - it is in sharp contrast with the faces of those who have to give way and snuggle up to the side of the road. The noise that causes so obvious irritation for everyone else is an object of pride and high spirits for the driver of an important car.

The effect of industrial noise on the human body

In a production environment, process equipment and tools are sources of increased noise and vibration. For people working in noisy environments, labor productivity drops (10%) and morbidity increases (37%). Vibration and noise negatively affects the body and causes diseases of the peripheral nervous system.

Under the influence of noise on the body, a number of functional changes can occur on the part of various internal organs and systems:

• blood pressure rises
• the heart rate becomes faster or slower,
• various diseases of the nervous system (neurasthenia, neurosis, sensitivity disorder) may occur.

Methods to limit exposure to noise in the manufacturing sector

• Providing control of noise levels in the workplace and establishing rules for safe operation.
• Taking measures to reduce noise and vibration.
• Provision of personal protective equipment for working in areas of high sound levels to minimize the effects of noise and vibration on the human body.

Feeling the ubiquitous presence of noise, with a slight sense of envy, we look at the life of people in the past, which seems to us so calm and quiet compared to our rumbling rhythm of life. But what was the real state of affairs?

The problem of the influence of noise in past centuries

It turns out that the problem of the negative influence of noise has existed since ancient times, and the struggle against its influence on the human body has been going on for centuries.

Let's take an excursion into history and consider some interesting facts:

• In the famous Epic of Gilgamesh, the Great Flood is seen as a punishment for the fact that humanity makes a lot of noise and thereby annoys God.
• In ancient Greece, the inhabitants of Sibaris demanded that the authorities take the noisy production outside the city walls.
• Guy Julius Caesar forbade the passage of rumbling carts through Rome at night.
• It got to the curiosities when Queen Elizabeth I of England banned scandals and high-profile family quarrels after 10 pm.
• The famous nineteenth-century English physician Thomas More wrote that the roar of London during the daytime is simply terrible.

What would the honorable citizens who lived in past centuries say if they had even spent a day in our century, enjoying all the joys that have entered our lives as additional aspects of the development of civilization and technological progress.

Currently, the problem of loud noises has gained global importance and scientists in many countries are conducting various studies to determine the effect of noise on the human body and to find ways to deal with its negative consequences. The problem is that noise pollution is increasing every year, causing irreparable harm to people and the environment. According to Austrian researchers, noise in large cities reduces human life by 8-12 years.

On the one hand, it is indisputable that it causes significant harm to human health, but, on the other hand, absolute silence scares and frightens.

Therefore, it is very important to find the optimal balance between these extreme conditions and try to make all possible efforts to bring harmony into our lives, weakening the effect of noise on the human body.