Noise and YouNoise and You

Why worry about noise?Why worry about noise?

Of all the pollution concerns:Of all the pollution concerns:– Air,water,land, and noise; noise pollution Air,water,land, and noise; noise pollution

is the one that has the potential for the is the one that has the potential for the most damage to humans and wildlife.most damage to humans and wildlife.

– It is a hidden health hazard that impacts It is a hidden health hazard that impacts our our physical, psychological and physical, psychological and intellectualintellectual well being. well being.

– Our ears never shut down, even while Our ears never shut down, even while we are sleeping, so the input is constant.we are sleeping, so the input is constant.

Noise PollutionNoise Pollution Noise pollution has a broad effect. Noise pollution has a broad effect.

– It can excite us It can excite us – Warn us of dangerWarn us of danger– Soothe us Soothe us – Inspire us Inspire us – Keep us in touch with our Keep us in touch with our

surroundings.surroundings.– And, harm our well being.And, harm our well being.

Noise is EverywhereNoise is Everywhere

HearingHearing

Our ability to hear Our ability to hear is one of our great is one of our great senses that senses that connects us with connects us with the world around the world around us.us.

Without it, the Without it, the world becomes a world becomes a lonely, frightening lonely, frightening place.place.

Our Magical EarsOur Magical Ears

Those Handles on Our Those Handles on Our HeadsHeads

Our ears aren’t Our ears aren’t there for there for decoration!decoration!– They are amazing They are amazing

neurotransmitters neurotransmitters that gather and that gather and process sound, process sound, sending the input sending the input off to our brain off to our brain where fascinating where fascinating things happen.things happen.

The Ear and Our BrainThe Ear and Our Brain

– Our brain processes the sound waves Our brain processes the sound waves received via our ears and makes received via our ears and makes determinations that effect: speech, determinations that effect: speech, balance, and hearing.balance, and hearing.

– Excess stimulation from sound can Excess stimulation from sound can overload our nervous system overload our nervous system resulting in many negative health resulting in many negative health symptoms.symptoms.

What does our ear drum What does our ear drum do?do?

– Sound waves are Sound waves are collected by our ear collected by our ear canal and passed to canal and passed to the ear drum, which the ear drum, which vibrates. The sound vibrates. The sound waves are then waves are then picked up by fluid in picked up by fluid in the inner ear and the inner ear and passed to the inner passed to the inner ear structures where ear structures where the acoustic nerve the acoustic nerve connects to the brain.connects to the brain.

The Mighty DecibelThe Mighty Decibel Decibels measure the Decibels measure the

intensity of sound.intensity of sound. Hearing loss can occur Hearing loss can occur

from a single exposure from a single exposure to a loud noise or from to a loud noise or from repeated exposures.repeated exposures.

The Environmental The Environmental Protection Agency has Protection Agency has set a standard of 70 set a standard of 70 db in a 24 hour period db in a 24 hour period as safe.as safe.

The NumbersThe Numbers

– Rustling leaves- Rustling leaves- 10db10db

– whisper - 30 dbwhisper - 30 db– normal speech - 60 normal speech - 60

dbdb– television - 70 dbtelevision - 70 db– traffic - 75-80 dbtraffic - 75-80 db– blow dryer - 85 dbblow dryer - 85 db– noisy hall - 85 dbnoisy hall - 85 db– classroom - 85 dbclassroom - 85 db

– Stereo - 90 dbStereo - 90 db– bagpipes - 90-110 dbbagpipes - 90-110 db– power saw - 100 dbpower saw - 100 db– fire cracker - 115-fire cracker - 115-

120 db120 db– rock concert - 120 rock concert - 120

dbdb– gunshot/train/jet - gunshot/train/jet - – 150 db150 db

Physical EffectsPhysical Effects ExamplesExamples: hearing : hearing

loss, digestive loss, digestive disorders, birth disorders, birth defects, arthritis, defects, arthritis, cancer, heart cancer, heart disease, fatigue, disease, fatigue, headaches, asthma, headaches, asthma, hypertension, hypertension, insomnia, sexual insomnia, sexual dysfunction, altered dysfunction, altered immune system.immune system.

Psychological EffectsPsychological Effects

ExamplesExamples: : depression, anger, depression, anger, aggression, anxiety, aggression, anxiety, increased violence, increased violence, alcohol and drug alcohol and drug use, fatigue, use, fatigue, increase in suicide, increase in suicide, decreased social decreased social skills, personality skills, personality disordersdisorders

Communicative EffectsCommunicative Effects ExamplesExamples: :

decreased learning decreased learning capacity, memory capacity, memory loss, poor language loss, poor language skills, decreased skills, decreased speech speech development, development, decreased academic decreased academic performance, performance, decreased cognitive decreased cognitive abilityability

How much is too much?How much is too much?– Damage to health begins Damage to health begins

at 75 db. at 75 db. – Hearing damage begins Hearing damage begins

at 90 db and can be at 90 db and can be permanent with one permanent with one exposure of 120 db or exposure of 120 db or more.more.

– The average decibel The average decibel levels at Montpelier High levels at Montpelier High School are 70-86; where School are 70-86; where damage to physical, damage to physical, psychological and psychological and communicative health communicative health begins.begins.

As a bagpiper I am As a bagpiper I am acutely aware of the acutely aware of the impact of noise on my impact of noise on my well being. The well being. The average bagpipe average bagpipe generates 90-110 db.generates 90-110 db.

It is important in any of It is important in any of our health arena’s that our health arena’s that we make deliberate we make deliberate choices about how to choices about how to protect ourselves.protect ourselves.

Music To Your Ears?Music To Your Ears?

ShhhhhhShhhhhh

How can we stop How can we stop the constant the constant bombardment to bombardment to our ears and our ears and protect our over protect our over all health?all health?

Stopping the NoiseStopping the Noise

It cannot be done!It cannot be done!– Even during sleep our ears are Even during sleep our ears are

absorbing sound waves that are then absorbing sound waves that are then processed by our brain. processed by our brain.

– What we can do is seek practical What we can do is seek practical ways to diminish the noise OR protect ways to diminish the noise OR protect our ears from receiving too much our ears from receiving too much damaging input, i.e. decibels.damaging input, i.e. decibels.

Know ThyselfKnow Thyself

Respecting sounds and how they can Respecting sounds and how they can impact your health involves knowing impact your health involves knowing yourself. We all have different yourself. We all have different thresholds of what we can handle.thresholds of what we can handle.– What kinds of sounds stimulate you, What kinds of sounds stimulate you,

soothe you, irritate you?soothe you, irritate you?– Do you find you have ringing in your ears Do you find you have ringing in your ears

after certain sound exposures? after certain sound exposures? – Is there a family history of hearing loss?Is there a family history of hearing loss?

So, Now What?So, Now What?

How do you How do you balance what you balance what you enjoy with what is enjoy with what is healthy?healthy?

Controlling the noise in your life is not hopeless, Controlling the noise in your life is not hopeless, but does require determination on your part to but does require determination on your part to

respect and alter the level of noiserespect and alter the level of noise..

Wear ear plugs in Wear ear plugs in very loud places. very loud places. Filtered ear plugs, Filtered ear plugs, such as Sonic II can such as Sonic II can be purchased in be purchased in any music or gun any music or gun shop. They reduce shop. They reduce the damaging the damaging decibels, whereas decibels, whereas foam plugs will foam plugs will muffle sound but muffle sound but still allow too high a still allow too high a decibel range to decibel range to enter your ears.enter your ears.

Carpeting, pictures Carpeting, pictures and plants will and plants will absorb sound.absorb sound.

Increase trees and Increase trees and shrubs around shrubs around property.property.

Be aware of your Be aware of your surroundings and do surroundings and do whatever you can to whatever you can to reduce the noise reduce the noise level.level.

Find quiet time daily.Find quiet time daily. Limit your time in a Limit your time in a

noisy environmentnoisy environment

The EndThe End