Noise pollution is one of the main problems of modern life in any large city. On the central streets of Moscow and St. Petersburg, the noise from cars subsides only late at night and for only a few hours. And residents of houses located along avenues and highways have to deal with this around the clock.
Noise can drive you crazy. Photo: freepik.com
But car trafficis just one of the factors. Let’s add here the sounds of construction under the window, the hum of a neighbor’s hammer drill, the screams of children in the school yard, the clinking of dishes in a cafe near the house… It seems that you can’t hide from the noise either on the street or in your apartment. But what does this mean and what, after all, can be done to escape from these irritants?
The effect of noise on human health
The negative impact of unpleasant andtoo loud sounds< /strong>, which we consider noise, has long been studied by scientists. It has been proven that when certain levels are exceeded, there are risks to both mental and physical health of a person. Possible effects may include:
- irritability and decreased resistance to stress,
- problems with sleep and rest,
- difficulty concentrating and working,
- migraine, ringing and pain in the ears,
- changes in blood pressure,
- vestibular disorders.
li>
Long-term noise exposurecan cause irreversible or difficult to treat diseases of various organs. The most dangerous conditions include complete or partial hearing loss, cardiovascular diseases, and decreased cognitive abilities. Many are also familiar with such an unpleasant thing as tinnitus – an incessant ringing in the ears at a certain frequency that can stay with you for life.
Incessant ringing in the ears even has a name — tinnitus. Photo: unsplash.com
Legal noise limits
The role of protector of our ears is played by Rospotrebnadzor, which sets acceptable limits and monitors their compliance. Noise levels are measured in decibels (dB), and exceeding this level may result in a fine. Today, city standards look like this:
- The noise level on the street near houses during the daytime should not exceed 55–58 dB.
- At night (from 23:00 to 7:00) more stringent restrictions apply – up to 45–48 dB.
- In residential apartments, the noise level should be below 40 dB during the day and 30 dB at night.
All this is a fairly comfortable framework, established with some margin. Experts note that the real negative impact of noise on the bodybegins at 68 dB, and a volume of 110 dB already causes serious damage to the hearing organs.
Failure to comply with established standards in production or construction may lead to proceedings by the competent authorities. And everyday situations in which others suffer from someone else's music addiction or too much emotion in the middle of the night are an absolutely justifiable reason to call the police.
How to deal with noise on your own
Few of us are willing to constantly resort to the letter of the law to calm our neighbors, and besides, this is only part of the problem. There remain noisy streets, airplanes overhead and other irritants that cannot be told to be quieter. Most often, you have to take matters into your own hands and eliminate not the cause of the noise, but your ability to hear it.
You can protect your apartment from external soundswith the help of insulation – for example, plastic windows and strong entrance door. The walls can be covered with acoustic panels so that you can no longer hear your neighbor’s TV and stop swearing at his taste in music.
But what to do when we leave the confines of our cozy home? You can’t take a roll of soundproofing with you on a walk. A compact solution is earplugs. There are both regular plugs that can be bought at any pharmacy, and custom-made models that follow the shape of the ear canal.
Headphones with ANC often do a pretty good job of noise cancellation. No, really well. Photo: pixabay.com
A more familiar alternative to earplugs are headphones with active noise isolation. Such models have a built-in microphone that analyzes the surrounding environment and automatically eliminates unnecessary noise.
You can find a suitable option for every taste and size – now this technology is found even in the most budget models. There are two main types of such headphones:
- in-ear headphones with active noise cancellation, which fit in your pocket,
- full-size headphones that fit tightly on the ears from the outside.
The main advantage of headphones with noise cancellation is that you combine noise protection with listening to your favorite music. And if necessary, you can turn on the “transparency” mode and hear the surrounding environment without removing the headphones.
It is also important to remember that listening to music at high volume for a long time can also be harmful, so do not overuse this tool. Take care of your ears and stay healthy!