By Dennie Quill, ContributorA CHILDHOOD friend who is here on vacation from her adopted home in the Middle East made an interesting observation when we sat down for a chat recently. She noted that her teen-aged daughters who are also visiting with her were talking at levels which were easily four decibels below their Jamaican colleagues. I reflected on this and had to agree with my friend that indeed we are a loud people.
We live in a society - in the home, at work or in public areas - where we are bombarded with a cacophony of car horns, heavy duty and construction equipment and pounding music. It is a fact that unwanted sound is among our country's most widespread nuisances. This constant intrusion of noise means we often have to shout to be heard and it is almost impossible to have a meaningful conversation speaking at normal levels.
Next time you are on a bus or walking in a public area pay attention to the people around you, I guarantee that you are able to hear everything that is being said although no one is actually talking to you. But the noise with which we have to contend night and day, weekdays and weekends is more than annoyance - it constitutes a real and present danger to people's health. Sadly many people do not recognise the potential harm and this has not been a hot topic with health officials.
HEARING LOSS
Noise is one of the leading causes of hearing loss in the 28 million people with impaired hearing in the United States, and health statistics suggest that the incidence of hearing loss is occurring at younger and younger ages. Noise-induced hearing loss, though preventable, is permanent. The unit used to measure environmental sound intensity is the decibel (dBA). Experts agree that continued exposure to noise above say 85-90 dBA, will eventually harm hearing. Ninety dBA is more or less the measurement of the noise made by a motorcycle or a vacuum cleaner. In general, the louder the sound, the less time required before hearing will be affected.
Except for the serious problem of hearing loss, there is no human illness known to be directly caused by noise. However, we ought not to wait until we prove every link in the chain of causation, before we attempt to control things which have a negative impact on our lives. Remember prevention is better than cure. It is a fact that throughout dozens of studies, noise has been clearly identified as an important cause of physical and psychological stress, and stress has been directly linked to many of our most common health problems. Also it is the stressfulness of noise that makes it a pitch for depression.
GREATER
PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS
Recent research done in the United States and Britain points to higher rates of admission to psychiatric hospitals among people living close to airports. Should we study communities such as Harbour View and Montego Bay, the findings may be interesting. And studies of several industries show that prolonged noise exposure may lead to greater psychological problems among workers.
I need no research data to tell me that the frustration suffered by someone whose apartment is constantly pounding with the neighbour's music and whose calls to the police go unanswered will become stressed and irritable and may even have serious psychological problems. Our lawmakers long recognised that citizens have the right to enjoy the peace and quiet of their homes and therefore enacted laws to punish the arrogant among us who would want to interrupt our pursuit of comfort and happiness, particularly in our homes. So we do have adequate laws to see to an abatement of noise in our neighbourhoods. But as usual, enforcement is the weakest link.
Examples abound of the impotence of the police to deal with noisemakers. And there are many citizens who feel the police are not doing enough to address the problem of noise nuisance. I don't know if the police have decibel meters to determine noise nuisance levels. But in places where the police department is serious about protecting citizens' rights against such nuisances, these instruments do exist and people are punished for exceeding the decibel maximums.
Sleep is a restorative time of life, and a good night's sleep is believed to be important to good health. Noise can interfere with our sleep. And if a person's sleep is constantly being interrupted by noise; it could over time become a chronic problem and could take its toll on one's health and well-being. Since each of us is responsible for our own well-being here are a few tips to protect you from noise-induced hearing loss:
pay attention to the noises around you and turn down the volume whenever possible. Avoid or limit time spent in noisy sports events, rock concerts and night clubs. Wear adequate hearing protection, such as foam ear plugs when you must be in a noisy environment or when using loud equipment.
Dennie Quill is a veteran journalist who may be reached at denniequill@hotmail.com.
