When you were younger you probably had no clue that turning the volume up on your music could lead to health concerns. You simply enjoyed the music.
As you got older, you may have indulged in nights out at loud concerts or the movies. It might even be normal for you to have experienced loud noise at work. Lasting health concerns were the furthest thing from your mind.
Now that you’re older and more mature, you more likely know better. Noise-induced hearing impairment can show up in children as young as 12. But did you realize that sound is so formidable that it can even be used as a weapon?
Can You Get Ill From Sound?
In a word, yes. Certain sounds can evidently make you sick according to doctors and scientists. Here’s the reason why.
How Health is Impacted by Loud Noise
Very loud sounds injure the inner ear. After sound goes through the membrane of the eardrum it’s picked up by tiny hairs in the ears. These hairs never grow back once they are damaged. Many people, as they age, deal with sensorineural hearing loss caused by this.
Dangerous volume begins at 85 decibels over an 8 hour time period. If you’re exposed to over 100 decibels, permanent damage takes place within 15 minutes. A loud concert is around 120 decibels, which brings about instant, irreversible harm.
Cardiovascular health can also be affected by noise. Obesity, high blood pressure, clogged arteries, and other vascular problems can be the outcome of increased stress hormones brought on by excessively loud noise. So when people who are subjected to loud noise complain about headaches and memory loss, this may explain why. These are strongly connected to cardiovascular health.
Sound as low as 45 decibels can, based on one study, begin to affect your hormones and your heart. That’s about the volume of someone with a quiet inside voice.
Your Health is Impacted by Some Sound Frequencies – Here’s How
Cuban diplomats got sick after being exposed to certain sounds several years ago. The sound in Cuba wasn’t very loud. It could even be blocked out by a television. So how could this type of sound make people sick?
The answer is frequency.
High Frequency
Even at lower volumes, appreciable damage can be done by some high-frequency sound.
Does the sound of nails on a chalkboard cause you to cringe? Have you been driven crazy by someone repeatedly dragging their finger across a folded piece of paper? Does the shrill sound of a violin put you on edge?
If you’ve felt the force of high-pitched sounds, the pain you felt was actually damage being done to your hearing. The damage may have become irreversible if you’ve exposed yourself to this kind of sound repeatedly for longer time periods.
Studies have also revealed that damage can be done even if you can’t hear the sound. High-pitched sounds emanating from sensors, trains, machinery, and other man-made devices might be emitting frequencies that do damage with sustained exposure.
Low Frequency
Very low-frequency sound known as “infrasound” can also impact your health. The vibrations can make you feel disoriented and physically sick. Some even get flashes of light and color that are typical in migraine sufferers.
How You Can Protect Your Hearing
Recognize how particular sounds make you feel. Limit your exposure if particular sounds make you feel pain or other symptoms. Pain is frequently a warning sign of damage.
In order to know how your hearing could be changing over time, contact us for an examination.
