Stäfa / Zug, Switzerland (April 22, 2013) – The 18th International Noise Awareness Day is taking place on April 24. The Hear the World Foundation is using the global day of action to inform people about the neglected issue of noise and its risks. Whether at home, at work or in your children’s bedroom – noise is everywhere in our modern society and not only affects our hearing, but also endangers our health in general. Traffic noise is at the top of the list of causes of illness.
What is a good rock concert for one person is just noise for someone else. Since human perception depends on mood, physical condition and personal preference, noise perception cannot be quantified. However, as soon as a sound reaches a certain level that annoys people or even damages their health, we call it noise. Noise levels are measured in decibels according to the volume. Increasing a sound by 10 decibels is the same as doubling the perceived volume.
Noise in everyday life and the risks to our hearing
Noise can damage our hearing – whether and how this occurs depends on the duration and intensity of our exposure to it. Even prolonged exposure to noise over 85 decibels can lead to hearing loss. Dangers include MP3 players, concerts and discos, if they exceed this level: “When music is very loud, it is not only annoying, it can also cause hearing disorders or even damage our hearing – regardless of whether it is rock, pop, classical or brass band music,” explains Dr. Beat Hohmann, acoustics expert and Head of the Physics Department at Suva, the Swiss accident insurance fund. According to the international Hear the World study “Hearing is Living,” only four percent of respondents always protect their hearing when going to loud concerts or being exposed to prolonged noise, and over half never do so.[1] However, people should also be careful with loud everyday objects such as children’s toys: according to measurements taken by the Hear the World Foundation in collaboration with Aalen University in Germany, toys that make noises can reach volumes that could irreversibly damage children’s hearing. The values measured reached peaks of up to 130 decibels.
Traffic noise: a danger to health
Many people do not know that noise not only damages hearing: prolonged noise can also have severe consequences for our health. Traffic noise is particularly dangerous: according to a study by the World Health Organization (WHO), it represents the second largest health risk to humans after air pollution. As well as stress and sleep disorders, heart attacks and other cardiovascular diseases are often caused by traffic noise. [2]
Tips and tricks for dealing with noise
To protect your hearing, body and mind from the effects of noise, the Hear the World Foundation has put together a few important tips:
- At concerts etc., earplugs and keeping a sufficient distance from the source of the noise can prevent damage to hearing.
- Children and young people are only familiar with being “hard of hearing” as a symptom of old age. Parents should therefore inform children early about the risks noise poses to their hearing.
- Loud children’s toys should be tested by parents before purchase. Your own perception of noise is a good way of measuring volume.
- Deliberately plan acoustic breaks to allow your ears to recover and switch off all sources of noise (radio, TV, etc.).
- Get your hearing checked regularly by a hearing care professional or specialist physician.
- If damage does occur, and symptoms such as a feeling of pressure in the ear, muffled hearing or persistent noises in the ear appear, you should urgently rest your hearing, drink a lot of fluids, and see an ENT specialist as soon as possible.
[1] Hear the World Foundation, 2012
[2] WHO, Burden of disease from environmental noise, Quantification of healthy life years lost in Europe, 2011
About the Hear the World Foundation
By supporting the charitable Hear the World Foundation, Sonova is campaigning for equal opportunities and a better quality of life for people with hearing loss. As a leading manufacturer of hearing systems, the company feels socially responsible for contributing towards a world where everyone has the chance to enjoy good hearing. For instance, the Hear the World Foundation supports disadvantaged people with hearing loss around the world and gets involved in prevention and providing information. It focuses particularly on projects for children with hearing loss, to enable them to develop at the appropriate rate for their age. More than 60 famous ambassadors, including celebrities such as Plácido Domingo, Annie Lennox, Sting and Joss Stone, champion the Hear the World Foundation. For further information, go to www.hear-the-world.com. Connect with us at https://www.facebook.com/CanYouHearTheWorld
