When you were a kid you probably had no clue that turning the volume up on your music could lead to health issues. You simply enjoyed the music.
You had a good time when you were growing up, going to loud concerts and movies. It may even be normal for you to have experienced loud noise at work. Still, you didn’t think it had any lasting impact.
You probably know differently today. Noise-induced hearing impairment can appear in kids as young as 12. But sound is so powerful it can actually be used as a weapon.
Can You Get Sick From Sound?
Actually, it Can. Particular sounds can evidently make you ill according to scientists and doctors. This is the reason why.
How Health is Impacted by Loud Noise
Extremely loud sounds damage the inner ear. You have little hairs that pick up +
vibrations after they go through the eardrum membrane. These hairs never regenerate once they are damaged. Many people, as they age, deal with sensorineural hearing loss caused by this.
Over 85 dB of volume for an 8 hour period will start to cause long-term impairment. It only takes 15 minutes for permanent damage to occur at 100 dB. At 120 dB, the volume of a rock concert, immediate, long-term impairment will occur.
Cardiovascular wellness can also be impacted by noise. Exposure to loud sounds can boost stress hormones, which can result in High blood pressure, clogged arteries, obesity, and more. So when individuals who are exposed to loud noise complain about headaches and memory loss, this could explain why. These are directly related to the health of your cardiovascular system.
Sound as low as 45 decibels can, according to one study, begin to impact your hormones and your heart. A person speaking with a quiet inside voice is at this volume level.
Your Health is Affected by Some Sound Frequencies – This is How
Several years ago, diplomats in Cuba got sick when subjected to sounds. This sound was not at a really loud volume. It could even be blocked out by a television. How might it have been able to make people sick?
The answer is frequency.
High Frequency
High frequency sounds like the one experienced in Cuba can do appreciable harm at lower volumes.
Does the sound of nails on a chalkboard cause you to cringe? Have you been driven crazy by somebody repeatedly dragging their finger over a folded piece of paper? Does the shrill sound of a violin put you on edge?
If you’ve felt the power of high-frequency sounds, the pain you felt was actually damage happening to your hearing. If you experienced this for a time, regularly exposed yourself to it, or were exposed at a high volume, then the damage may have become irreversible.
Research has also found that you don’t even need to be able to hear the sound. Harmful frequencies can come from lots of common devices such as sensors, trains, machinery, etc.
Low Frequency
Your health can also be affected by infrasound which is very low frequency sound. The vibrations can make you feel dizzy and physically sick. Some individuals even get migraine symptoms like flashes of light and color.
How You Can Protect Your Hearing
Be mindful of how you feel about certain sounds. Limit your exposure if particular sounds make you feel pain or other symptoms. Pain is often a warning sign of damage.
Get your hearing checked regularly by a hearing specialist to find out how your hearing could be changing over time.