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The din and the decibels
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Cacophonous music, noisy traffic, blaring speakers, loud firecrackers... what do experts have to say about the impact of noise on our hearing?
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Photo: K. Gopinathan
sound bite A sound level meter reveals sound levels way above the accepted 65 decibels on M.G. Road
We are a noisy society. If that sounds like an exaggeration, consider this. Take any calendar month of religious significance. You are more likely to be woken up, not by the alarm clock, but by the filmi, semi-religious tunes from
the nearest roadside loudspeaker. Go to a wedding reception where there is a light music troupe playing and try carrying on a meaningful conversation with friends and relatives – it will be a futile exercise in the cacophony around you.
Walk into a disco where youngsters groove and the music is deafening. Of course, pumping up the volume is what gets people in the mood but the downside is it damages the auditory nerve of everyone in the vicinity. On the city roads, there is no dearth of noise, especially when there is a traffic pile-up because there are some smart alecks who think that by furiously honking, the motorists in front will instantly move.
Given the construction boom we see all around. The drone of concrete mixers and the sound of bore wells all through the day and night is guaranteed to drive people insane.
Noise or sound
So just what is noise? Where does one draw the line between noise and sound? “The word noise is commonly used to denote an undesirable sound or an excessively loud sound that has the potential to harm hearing,” says Dr. Mohan Kameswaran, Managing Director, Madras ENT Research Foundation.
Drawing a distinction between social noise and impact noise, he says, “Social noise alludes to situations such as light music performances at weddings, loudspeakers blaring in the streets during religious festivals or in places of worship, music from discos (the decibel level ranges from 100-140 dB) and Diwali crackers.”
The ruling that impact noise caused by explosives during Diwali should not exceed 110dB is often flouted and bursting of crackers with a noise level of almost 140dB or more is not uncommon. Paradoxically we pay more to cause more damage with noise.”
Underscoring the fact that people remain blissfully ignorant of the damage they inflict upon themselves, Dr. Babu Manohar, Senior Consultant ENT Surgeon, Apollo Hospitals, says, “What is noise to one person may just be normal sound to another. Rock music is a good example. Even to the same individual, sound can become noise, depending on his/her mood.
Although standards indicating ideal sound levels have been set, this remains a subject of debate. However, it has been established, that most people will not suffer hearing loss if the noise level does not exceed 85 to 90dB.” Doctors caution that exposure beyond permissible noise levels, for a few years, may lead to noise induced hearing loss, which is permanent.
Says Dr. Mohan Kameswaran, “Temporary hearing loss can also occur within a few minutes of exposure to beyond permissible noise levels. This may present to the patient as a low hum or buzz in the ears. But with rest, the patient can recover. Normal hearing may be restored if the exposure to the loud noise is discontinued. Acoustic trauma can happen due to a one-time brief exposure of about 140dB and above for less than 0.2 seconds and can cause hearing loss.”
There are other equally harmful effects of noise such as headache, fatigue, irritability, gastric ulcer, vertigo, high blood pressure, increased heart rate, increased stress, increased accident rates at the workplace, aggression and anti-social behaviour and interference with speech or sleep.
Emphasising the importance of taking steps to prevent noise-induced hearing loss, Dr. Mohan Kameswaran suggests wearing ear plugs or earmuffs when involved in noisy activities, and protecting the ears of infants or small children.
“Although most industrialists who run industries that produce a high level of noise do provide protective devices, most employees are reluctant to use them. Ultimately it is the responsibility of every individual to protect his hearing.
“Dr. Babu Manohar’s prescription includes reducing noise at source, designing and fabrication of silencing devices, imposing noise limits for vehicular traffic and bans on honking of horns, besides creation of vegetation buffer zones and road side plantation to absorb noise. “When exposed to loud noise, use your finger to block the ear canal,” he adds.
If the sounds of silence are not what you want to hear for the rest of your life, don’t indulge in activities that can make that happen.
SUDHA UMASHANKER
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