VERIFIED CONTENTAuthor: Krzysztof Bialazite

Noise affects our body more than previously expected. The he alth effects of noise affect not only the hearing, but the entire nervous and cardiovascular systems. Find out what noise is, what are the sources of noise, what is the impact of noise on the body, what are the risks of professional work in noise and what are the methods of protection against noise?

NoiseIn today's world, life accompanies us at every step - at work, in our free time, and even during sleep. Noise can not be completely avoided, but it is a good idea to protect yourself from excess noise. Living in an environment of noise has many he alth consequences.

Noise - what is it?

Noise is a collection of loud sounds that make you feel unpleasant and interfere with your daily activities. The human ear is capable of perceiving sounds with an intensity of 0-120 dB. A whisper is an example of a noise at 20 dB, a normal conversation - 60 dB, and a plane taking off - 140 dB.

The WHO recognizes the noise level of 80 dB as the harmful noise threshold. Prolonged exposure to such noise can have adverse he alth effects. Noise above 130 dB mechanically damages the ear and causes pain.

It is worth remembering that noise is not only sudden, very loud sounds. Long-term exposure to noises of lower intensity (60-90 dB) makes it difficult to concentrate and has a negative impact on well-being. A similar effect is caused by sounds of variable amplitude, which are much more irritating than noise of constant intensity.

In addition to audible noise, we are also exposed to the so-called inaudible noise. This is a special type of noise that the human ear cannot hear - sounds are outside the range of frequencies that we can consciously perceive.

Such noise remains inaudible, but it can have an effect on our body. An example of inaudible noise is infrasound - low-frequency mechanical vibrations that strongly affect internal organs.

Noise sources

Regardless of our workplace and our lifestyle, we all live in exposure to noise. According to the World He alth Organization, noise ranks second on the list of environmental factors that pose the greatest threat to public he alth(air pollution comes first)

Where does the noise in our environment come from? Here are its main sources:

  • traffic noise- comes from road, rail and air transport. In Poland, the first one is a particular problem. A busy street generates constant noise of 70-80 dB. The constant development of the road network and the increase in the number of vehicles pose the risk of further aggravation of the problem of traffic noise. During road measurements in 2022, on 92% of the inspected Polish roads, results were obtained that exceeded the permissible standards (60 dB during the daytime). Living in the airport areas, where the daily average noise level reaches even 100 dB, can be even more annoying. Along with the development of the communication network, attempts are made to reduce the emission of sounds. The most commonly used solutions include soundproof screens and traffic restriction at night.
  • industrial noise- includes sounds from industrial plants. The main source of industrial noise are construction, production, agricultural and service companies. All industrial facilities are subject to legal provisions regulating the permissible level of emitted noise (Environmental Protection Law). Monitoring measurements of industrial noise in Poland carried out in 2022 showed that the permissible noise level was exceeded in 23% of the inspected plants.
  • communal noise- all the sounds reaching our apartment, coming from its immediate surroundings (apartment building, housing estate). The source of communal noise can be technical installations in the building, squeaky door in the stairwell or troublesome neighbors. The permissible sound level in living quarters is 40 dB during the day and 30 dB at night. In the event of exposure to municipal noise exceeding the norms, please contact the poviat branch of the State Sanitary Inspection - the body supervising the intensity of harmful factors (including acoustic) in the place of our residence.
  • noise in the work environment- its level depends on the place of our employment. "Normal" office noise is the intensity of sounds in the amount of 60-70 dB. Work in construction, chemical industry, mining and heavy industry (even 130 dB) presents the greatest risk of noise. Working in noise is a risk factor for occupational hearing damage. In accordance with the OHS regulations, the maximum permissible noise level during an 8-hour working day is 85 dB.
  • house noise- all the sounds coming from our apartment. ActivatedTV and radio, working electrical appliances or loud music are sounds that we are exposed to even while resting. Unlike other types of noise, house noise is largely up to us. If you want to take care of your sense of hearing, you should limit it as much as possible and enjoy relaxing in silence.

Noise - impact on the body

It has been known for a long time that noise negatively affects the hearing organ. However, not everyone is aware that the adverse effects of noise may affect the whole organism. The latest scientific research shows that noise is associated with diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and peptic ulcer disease. Noise also has a significant impact on the nervous system and mental condition.

To understand the effects of noise on the hearing, it is helpful to understand how the sense of hearing works. The processing of sounds by our ears begins in the ear canal. The acoustic wave passes through it, finally hitting the eardrum.

Air vibrations set the membrane in motion, which is transferred to the ossicles chain in the middle ear: hammer, anvil and stapes.

Further sound processing takes place in the inner ear, the so-called labyrinth. The energy of the sound wave sets the fluid inside the labyrinth in motion.

The vibrations in the fluid stimulate the auditory receptors and then transmit the signal to the brain via the auditory nerve, where the sound signal is finally received.

How can noise damage our sense of hearing?

Sudden sound of too high intensity carries the risk of so-called acute acoustic trauma. Most often it occurs as a result of an explosion of a firecracker or a shot from a firearm. Inside the ear, the eardrum can be damaged or completely ruptured, the ossicles dislocated, or the cells of the inner ear can be destroyed.

In turn, prolonged exposure to moderate levels of noise may cause chronic, progressive hearing loss. The level of noise level, which may be harmful to the hearing organ if regularly exposed, is 80 dB.

Prolonged noise causes irreversible changes in the ear - the hearing threshold is shifted and the sensitivity of the sense of hearing changes. Normal speech can become inaudible and sounds difficult to distinguish.

The negative effects of noise extend far beyond our ears. The he alth effects of noise can affect seemingly unrelated systems - digestive, cardiovascular, and endocrine systems. Noise is a proven stress factor, which entails a number of negative effectsconsequences.

Exposure to noise causes an increase in blood pressure and, in the long term, increases the risk of hypertension. Recent scientific studies show a link between noise and the development of coronary heart disease and myocardial infarction. The release of stress hormones in response to noise increases the risk of obesity, diabetes and peptic ulcer disease.

Noise is a heavy burden on our nervous system. Even low-volume sounds ( <35 dB) mogą nas rozpraszać i dekoncentrować. Organizm funkcjonujący w warunkach hałasu przeznacza mnóstwo energii na to, by się przed nim chronić.

Noise is a stressor for the nervous system - it can cause unfavorable emotional changes, irritation and even aggression.

Exposure to noise may make it impossible to rest because the sense of hearing works continuously, also during sleep. In order to ensure proper regeneration of the nervous system, it is necessary to rest in silence.

Noise and job

Noise is one of the most common hazards in the workplace. Noise-induced hearing damage is one of the most common occupational diseases. According to data from the Central Statistical Office of Poland, the number of people working in noise hazardous conditions in Poland is 187.5 thousand (data from 2022).

People employed in the industrial processing, mining, construction and transport sectors are particularly exposed to noise in the work environment. Working in conditions of exposure to noise is subject to a number of requirements and legal regulations that aim to protect the he alth of employees.

Noise control in the working environment is carried out in many ways.Acceptable noise exposure must not exceed 85 dB per 8-hour working day . More restrictive standards apply to adolescents (max. 80 dB) and pregnant women (max. 65 dB).

The regulations also define a maximum noise level that must not be exceeded at any time during operation (maximum sound level A - 115 dB, peak sound level C - 135 dB). The duration of work in continuous noise at the level of 95-100 dB must not exceed 40-100 minutes a day. On the other hand, working in noise of 110 dB can last up to 10 minutes a day.

The employer is obliged to regularly measure noise in the working environment. If employees are exposed to noise levels that exceed the permissible standards, it is the employer's responsibility to implement appropriate measures.

Workers' protection can be achieved by reducing the working time in exposure to noise, ensuring appropriate personal protective equipment (ear muffs and earplugs) or appropriate adaptation of the workplace (acoustic screens, soundproof casings).

The employer is also obliged to provide employeesregular preventive hearing examinations.

Noise - preventive examinations

The type and scope of medical examinations that should be performed on workers exposed to noise in the workplace are specified in the regulation of the Minister of He alth. According to it, the employer is obliged to send the employee to the preliminary and periodical ones. The latter should be repeated regularly: every year for the first 3 years of work, and then every 3 years.

The basic preventive examinations for employees exposed to noise include:

  • otolaryngological examination
  • and tonal audiometry.

The otolaryngological examination includes the anatomical assessment of the ear using an otoscope and indicative hearing examination using a whisper.

Tone audiometry allows for an objective assessment of the hearing threshold. During the examination, the patient puts on special headphones that provide sounds of a certain intensity and height. The patient's task is to signal the moment when he hears the softest of the sounds given. Each ear is checked separately.

Tone audiometry allows for the early detection of hearing losses and the assessment of their type and origin. Additionally, it is possible to perform the so-called speech audiometry - tests assessing the ability to understand the words heard.

If there are indications for it, the diagnosis of the hearing organ may be extended with additional tests. Advanced methods of assessing hearing include, among others tympanometry, otoacoustic emission and auditory evoked potentials (ABR). Tympanometry is a test that allows you to evaluate the eardrum.

Using tympanometry is used to diagnose injuries of the middle ear, including the eardrum and ossicles. The second of these tests - otoacoustic emission - assesses the condition of the cochlea in the inner ear.

Auditory evoked potentials, in turn, record the brain's response to auditory stimuli. It is one of the most advanced audiological tests that allows you to diagnose abnormalities at all stages of the auditory pathway.

Noise - how to protect yourself?

Awareness of the harmfulness of noise is the first step to reducing its negative impact on our he alth.

In order to protect ourselves against noise, we should act in many ways. At the beginning, it is worth considering how to reduce the amount of noise that accompanies us every day. Avoiding listening to loud music, reducing the volume of the TV or installing soundproof windows in the home are examples of changes that can drastically reduce the amount of noise around us.

In cases where we need to stay inin noisy surroundings, it is worth taking care of appropriate protection - ear muffs or earplugs (this also applies to the workplace).

Bearing in mind that noise is associated with enormous stress for our body, let's plan a rest in silence. Relaxing in the bosom of nature will provide a detox from loud sounds and will allow you to regenerate the entire nervous system.

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