How excess noise poses a health risk

It may seem innocuous, but submitting your ears to uncomfortable noise levels can do more harm than just bug you. Here's how to protect yourself.

• Living with chronic noise exposure increases the risk of heart attacks. The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that long-term noise exposure above 67 to 70 decibels (equivalent to traffic noise) can lead to high blood pressure.
• When researchers assessed people who had been admitted to major hospitals in Berlin following a heart attack, they found that environmental noise increased risk more than three-fold in women, and by 45 per cent in men.
• People living in high-traffic areas were 46 per cent more at risk than those living in quieter areas.
• Theories about why noise can do physical harm include its association with increased stress and irritation, leading to an outpouring of stress hormones and rises in heart rate, blood pressure and blood lipids.
• People who already have cardiovascular disease may be at special risk, and noise can provoke changes in heart rhythm.

With noise exposure, harm may start at low levels, and there are countless noisy tasks in daily life that we may do without thinking of the potential damage to our cardiovascular system (or our hearing).

• If your work involves loud noise, it is sensible to wear noise-cancelling earplugs (or noise-cancelling headphones) at all times as recommended by your employer.
• Make sure that you protect your ears if you engage in noisy sports like shooting.
• Buy several pairs of good-quality earplugs with a high noise-reduction rating (NRR) and use them whenever you undertake noisy tasks such as mowing the lawn or using power tools.
• Small specialized earplugs, called flat-attenuation or flat-response earplugs, are available for use at events like rock concerts; when using them, you are still able to hear the music clearly, but they protect you from hazardous amplified noise levels.
• If you or your partner snores, chances are you're subjected to noise levels overnight sufficient to disturb your sleep and raise your risk of cardiovascular disease. See a doctor for tests, assessment and treatment. Meanwhile, get yourself a pair of earplugs.

• If you are exposed to loud background noise for long periods, try to reduce the noise level or minimize your exposure to it, and minimize noise at other times.
• Studies find that chronic noise exposure increases blood pressure which, in turn, increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.

• Chronic nighttime noise above 50 decibels — the level of light traffic — poses a risk to cardiovascular health, says the WHO.
• Other studies suggest that traffic noise above 30 decibels may cause you to lose sleep, a hazard in itself.
• Many people these days live in noisy cities, sometimes with enough nighttime noise to disrupt their sleep.
• If you get traffic noise in your home, hang heavy curtains and consider double-glazing your windows. If it's still noisy at night, try using earplugs or a white-noise machine to help you sleep.

How can you tell if the sounds in your life have the potential to harm your hearing and cardiovascular health? Damage may be occurring if:

• You are exposed to regular heavy-impact noises such as pneumatic drills and hammering.
• You use heavy power tools for more than 30 minutes a day.
• You are exposed to continuous noise at work during the day — in an airport, on a building site or in a factory that has loud industrial machinery or power tools — or in the evening at a nightclub.
• You experience ringing in your ears (tinnitus) during or after noise exposure.

Hearing impairment can also be caused by prolonged exposure to the noise of a motorcycle engine, a loud car stereo or even the inside of a busy bar.