Noise can be much more of a problem than merely an annoyance. People instinctively tend to interpret noise as a threat, which means your body will respond by releasing adrenalin and raising your heart rate. Over time this type of stress can cause people to become nervous and irritable, and can even contribute to cardiovascular disease. Noise is also the major cause of hearing loss and tinnitus (ringing in the ears), and today people are losing more of their hearing acuity at younger ages than in the past. Also, permanent hearing loss makes you even more vulnerable to future damage.
Official sources usually say that the dangerous sound level starts at 85 decibels (dB), but some researchers caution that this standard isn’t strict enough, since people vary in their vulnerabilities, and the danger might actually start as low as 70 dB. They argue that an exposure level of 70 dB should have a safe time limit of 24 hours, and that for every increase of 3 dB you should cut that limit in half. Using this rule, the time limit for 82 dB would be 1/16 of 24 hours, or 1 & 1/2 hours. 82 dB is about the noise level of a shower. A relatively quiet lawn mower is roughly 91 dB, and this works out to about 11 minutes of safe exposure.
Most people are aware of many of the common dangerous noise sources, such as gunshots, explosions, jet engines, fire alarms, concerts, loud headphone music, construction noises (such as jackhammers), leaf blowers, factory noises, large computer fans, sirens, chain saws, and fireworks. But there are also many less obvious sources, such as traffic (truck drivers often have high levels of hearing loss just due to traffic noise levels of around 90 dB), the kitchen stove fan, the cheering at an indoor gym sporting event, motorcycles, a subway train, a snow mobile, power drills, children’s musical and squeak toys, toy guns, classical music concerts, woodshop machinery, and even such everyday things as blenders, dishwashers, garbage disposals, loud TVs, hair dryers, printers, photocopiers, very loud conversations, vacuum cleaners, and ringing phones.
Many of these latter sources only tend to become dangerous when combined. An example of when this might happen would be when a stove fan, dishwasher, and blender were all going at once. If multiple appliances are going at the same time, the sound level can approach that of a chain saw at 110 dB. One obvious safety rule is to use only a few appliances at a time. You could also purchase noise reduced appliances.
A good rule of thumb is that if you have to raise your voice to be heard from a few feet away the noise level is dangerous. But, if you don’t want to just trust your instincts, you could go out and buy a noise meter alarm. (Extech Sound Level Alert Alarm)
Another hazardous situation that most people don’t think about is that of air bag deployment. When air bags deploy they permanently damage the hearing of 17% of exposed people. Some individuals have even suffered ruptured eardrums, permanent tinnitus, and vertigo. Safety experts fear that as car makers install more of them there could be big increases in the number of such injuries. Short of wearing ear plugs while driving, or disabling your airbags, it isn’t clear how a person can protect themselves. (Hearing Loss and Air Bags) And it’s worse in a small car with the windows closed. (Do Airbags Cause Hearing Loss? and Airbags and Ear Damage) (I personally would consider disabling my air bags.)
There are a number of factors that can increase the risk of permanent injury arising from any given noise level; some of the most common ones are alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, being obese, and not exercising.
Occupations where hearing loss is common are agriculture, mining, construction, manufacturing, utilities, transportation, the military, classical orchestra, and rock music.
Using adequate hearing protection is the common sense recommended solution. Inexpensive ear plugs with about 30 dB of protection are available at drug stores. People should be aware that wadded up tissue or cotton balls don’t provide sufficient protection. (Noise-induced hearing loss – Wikipedia, and Presbycusis – Wikipedia)
But, sometimes if the source is loud enough, even ear plugs might not be sufficient. A leading scholar of Gregorian chant suffered permanent hearing loss from attending one rock concert, even though he was wearing ear plugs. (Losing Your Ears to Music: The Hearing Loss Epidemic and Musicians) To be safe under such conditions you might have to double up, and also wear something along the lines of gun protection ear muffs. (AOSafety Shotgunner Hearing Protection Muffs) I remember at one concert I was wearing 30 dB ear plugs, and the band hit a sound level that was painful. To be clear about just how loud such concerts can be, there have been cases of lung collapse at them. (Loud music lung collapse warning) Guns are another particularly high risk situation, and when I shoot them I use both levels of protection.
Researchers have also found that supplements can provide some protection. Free radicals are a byproduct of cellular metabolism, and when the cells work too hard they can poison themselves with their own wastes and die. Loud continuous noise can overwork cells, and this is one way loud noise damages hearing. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals, and in one study, a combination of the antioxidants, beta carotene, magnesium, vitamin C, and vitamin E, prevented hearing loss in guinea pigs. (Vitamin supplements may protect against noise-induced hearing loss) Another group is working with the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine in a study to see if Marines can be better protected from hearing loss. (Pill sought to cut hearing loss from noise)
Besides loud noise, here is a long list of specific solvents, fuels, drugs, toxins, injuries, conditions, and diseases that can all cause permanent, and/or temporary, hearing loss: toluene, styrene, xylene, n-hexane, ethyl benzene, perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene, p-xylene, white spirits/Stoddard, carbon disulfide, hydrocodone, aspirin (temporary), carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, lead (Beethoven’s deafness might have been caused by lead poisoning), mercury, paraquat, measles, meningitis, mumps, multiple sclerosis, Lyme disease, whiplash, head injury, tumor in the ear, otosclerosis, osteoarthritis of the tiny bones in the ear, superior canal dehiscence (a gap in the bone cover above the inner ear), enlarged adenoids, AIDS, and, in newborns, congenital Chlamydia and syphilis, fetal alcohol syndrome, and premature birth.
Moving from the specific to the general, classes of substances, conditions, and diseases that can cause hearing loss include: organotins, salicylates (temporary), antineoplastics, anti-malarial drugs, aminoglycosides, macrolide antibiotics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, diuretics, autoimmune disorders, ear infections, foreign objects or was in the ear, nose allergies, and organophosphate pesticides. (Hearing impairment – Wikipedia, Ototoxicity – Wikipedia, and Ototoxic Medications)
Current treatments for hearing loss include: hearing aids, and cochlear implants. For the future, researchers hope that gene therapy will someday become available to regenerate the lost and damaged hair cells.
For tinnitus Doctors currently have noise maskers, and for the future they are experimenting with such things as magnetic stimulation and implanted electrodes that temporarily quiet the brain cells causing the noise. Some drugs that are normally used to treat conditions such as Alzheimer’s, epilepsy, and alcoholism might be useful. They alter the neurotransmitters in the brain, and for some people this can reduce their tinnitus. (New Therapies Fight Phantom Noise of Tinnitus, and Secret to Treating Tinnitus in Vets may be Unlocked in Zebrafish)
Here is a list of the noise levels from some common sources (the numbers depend on assumptions of distance):
Increased risk of heart disease starts at 65 dB.
The 70 dB safe limit is 24 hours.
The 73 dB safe limit is 12 hours.
The 79 dB limit is 3 hours.
The 91 dB limit is 11 minutes and 15 seconds.
The 94 dB limit is 5 minutes and 35 seconds.
The 100 dB limit is 1 minute and 24 seconds.
(very quiet 0 – 30 dB, quiet 30-50 dB, annoying 70-80 dB, possible damage over time 70 + dB, painful 110+ dB, eardrum rupture 140+ dB)
(Noise Levels, Noise: The Hidden Danger, Hearing Loss: How to Protect Yourself, and Ringing in the Ears -Prevention)
(Decibel Loudness Comparison Chart, Decibel Level Comparison Chart, Decibel Table, Decibel Comparison Chart, and Dangerous Decibels)
Tags: Air Bags, Antioxidants, Hearing, Heart Disease, Noise, Stress, Tinnitus, Toxins
hi,
I think you are doing human trials, at least with children (see the web cordbloodregistry –>> http://www.cordblood.com/regenerative-medicine/hearingloss.asp ).
In this blog http://deafdude1.blogspot.com/2009/08/stem-cells-for-deafness-begins-human.html you can also stay informed on human trials.
greetings!
[...] The safest choice is not to use fireworks, but, if you do, always have a bucket of water and fire extinguisher handy. Never ignite them indoors or near dry grass. Of course, (for the last time) when using fireworks don’t wear loose clothing. Stand back from lit fireworks. If a device doesn’t perform don’t pick it up or stand over it. Pour water on it, pick it up with tongs, and throw it out. (You should also wear hearing protection when setting them off. (Tinnitus and Permanent Hearing Loss – Lost Wanderer)) [...]