An occasional blast of noise can feel very therapeutic. Pity then, that too much of it is bad for you in so many ways.

What’s your idea of a good time? Gyrating with thousands of rave bunnies while some famous DJ spins vinyl? How about a good, long road trip, stereo cranked all the way up, with liver-melting bass? Or perhaps you’re the more domesticated type who spends creative weekends in the company of power saws, lawnmowers and drills.

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The problem with all these pastimes is their common denominator. Modern society is fraught with levels of noise we scarcely notice. But people transported from the past would be panicked as much by the volume of noise as its unfamiliar sources.

Noise permeates our society
Chief Seattle wrote in 1854: “There is no place quiet in the white man’s cities, no place to hear the unfurling of the leaves in spring or the rustle of insects’ wings. But perhaps it is because I am a savage and do not understand. The clatter only seems to insult the ears.” And this from a man who’d never heard 50 Cent, Britney or Whitney.

The developed world is characterised by constant noise. There’s very little you can do about a lot of it, but it’s important to understand what its effects are, as well as what you can do to protect yourself.

When is a noise loud?
First, what constitutes loud noise? You probably know that sound is measured in decibels. Normal speech in a quiet room registers at about 60 decibels. A noisy traffic jam measures about 80 decibels and is the maximum that most people can stand comfortable. A nightclub with a decent sound system measures at around 120 decibels, which is the same as the human pain threshold.

Well, so what? Does that mean you’re at risk of going deaf if you go clubbing? Yes, sadly. In their book, The Perils of Progress, John Ashton and Ron Laura explain that the human ear has mechanisms which protect it from sudden loud noises: “The first is the aural reflex (Similar to squinting in sudden bright light), which tenses the eardrum and stiffens the lever action by the delicate bones in the ear, reducing the amplification … by up to 20 decibels.”

The second mechanism kicks in at noise levels of over 140 decibels, where the hairs in the organ of Corti, deep inside the ear, move from side to side instead of back and forth as they normally do. This also reduces the amount of noise you’re subjected to.

But if you work as say, a roadie for Faithless, you’d better get yourself a set of earmuffs, because the built-in mechanisms won’t save your hearing. Over time, the hairs in the organ of Corti become flattened, just like grass subjected to a prevailing wind. And hearing loss results.

Alcohol makes things worse
Sadly, there are more grim tidings for devotees of loud public events. If you like a few draught beers before catching a live band, there’s sad, bad news: alcohol impairs the reflex action of the autonomic nervous system. That’s another way saying that booze trips up your body’s self-defence mechanism, exposing you to more noise than if you were sober. And as Ashton and Laura put it, “Noise-induced hearing loss is gradual, untreatable and permanent.” Your reaction to all this might be “Who cares, old people are meant to be deaf: I’ll get a hearing aid when the time comes.”

Noise can damage your healthSo, should you ditch all your old Led Zeppelin LPs in favour of wind chimes? Well, one study has found that people are more productive when they’re allowed to listen to their own choice of music while working. It’s even been showed to lessen the amount of pain felt during dental procedures.

But here’s one last word of warning: If you block out noise by listening to music on headphones, beware the volume level. A 1996 New Scientist report found that the average setting on a personal stereo (Walkman, iPod or its equivalent) was the equivalent of around 130 decibels – the threshold for temporary hearing loss is around 90 decibels.

So what can you do?

• Try to spend some time without any noise around you at all each day;
• Be aware of volume settings on all the stuff you own and drive;
• Use plants to absorb ambient noise at home. A lush garden can significantly reduce traffic noise.
• Nerdy as it may seem, wear earplugs when using noisy machinery, even at home;
• As much as it may cramp your style, avoid alcohol before listening to loud music.

(William Smook)
 

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