When you were a teenager and turned up the radio to full volume, you had little thought about how this could harm your health. You just enjoyed the music.
You had a good time when you were growing up, going to loud concerts and movies. You might have even chosen a career where loud noise is the norm. Long term health problems were the furthest thing from your mind.
You probably know differently now. Children as young as 12 can have permanent noise-induced hearing loss. But sound is so powerful it can even be used as a weapon.
Can Sound Make You Ill?
In short, yes. It’s apparent to scientists and doctors alike that certain sound can make you sick. Here’s the reason why.
How Health is Impacted by Loud Noise
Very loud sounds harm the inner ear. You have little hairs that pick up +
vibrations after they go through the eardrum membrane. Once these small hairs are damaged, they don’t ever heal or regenerate. Many people, as they age, deal with sensorineural hearing loss caused by this.
Damaging volume starts at 85 decibels over an 8 hour time period. It only takes 15 minutes for long-term damage to occur at 100 dB. At 120 dB, the volume of a rock concert, immediate, irreversible impairment will take place.
Noises can also affect cardiovascular wellness. High blood pressure, clogged arteries, obesity, and other vascular issues can be the outcome of increased stress hormones induced by overly loud noise. So when people who are subjected to loud noise complain about memory loss and headaches, this may explain why. Cardiovascular health is strongly linked to these symptoms.
Sound as low as 45 decibels can, as reported by one study, start to affect your hormones and your heart. A person speaking with a quiet inside voice is at this volume level.
Your Health is Impacted by Certain Sound Frequencies – Here’s How
Several years ago, diplomats in Cuba got sick when exposed to sounds. The sound in Cuba wasn’t very loud. It could even be blocked out by a television. So how could this type of sound cause people to get sick?
The answer is frequency.
High Frequency
Even at lower volumes, considerable harm can be done by some high-frequency sound.
Does the sound of nails on a chalkboard cause you to cringe? Have you been driven nuts by somebody continuously dragging their finger over a folded piece of paper? Does the shrill sound of a violin put you on edge?
If you’ve felt the power of high-pitched sounds, the pain you felt was in fact damage being done to your hearing. If you endured this for a time, frequently subjected yourself to it, or were exposed at a high volume, then the damage may have become irreversible.
Studies have also revealed that damage can happen even if you can’t hear the sound. Harmful frequencies can come from lots of common devices such as sensors, trains, machinery, etc.
Low Frequency
Extremely low-frequency sound called “infrasound” can also impact your health. It can resonate the body in such a way that you feel nauseous and dizzy. Some individuals even get migraine symptoms such as flashes of light and color.
Protecting Your Hearing
Be aware of how you feel about particular sounds. Limit your exposure if particular sounds make you feel pain or other symptoms. If you’re experiencing pain in your ears, you’re probably doing damage.
In order to know how your hearing could be changing over time, contact a hearing specialist for an examination.