Turn Down the Sound: Listen to the Silence

We live in a cocoon. But this cocoon is regularly invaded by a cacophony of sound. Which is hurting us silently. At work, and at play.

What is sound?

Sound is a wave. It requires a source which produces the wave, and a medium, which carries the wave from one place to the other.

It is a mechanical wave, which requires a medium, such as air or water, to carry it. It cannot travel through a vacuum.

By way of contrast, an electromagnetic wave, such as light, can travel through a vacuum.

To produce sound, you need a source which vibrates. This could be a musical instrument or our vocal cords. The vibrating source causes a disturbance in the medium. A particle of air is disturbed, and it then disturbs the next particle, and so on. As one particle pushes the next, regions of high and low pressure are created. This disturbance, which is a pressure wave, travels through air, and reaches the eardrum of a willing or unwilling listener.

Noise versus music

Sound is often differentiated into music and noise.

Sound which is ordered is music, while sound which is disordered is noise. Both of them consist of sound waves of different frequencies.

Why worry?

The distinction between music and noise is not just academic. Music has been shown to have several beneficial effects on health. The effects of noise, by contrast, are harmful. Even with music, though, pressure levels (loudness) are important.

Health benefits of music

Many correlations have been noted between music and physical as well as mental health. Music reduces anxiety, and alleviates the stress of patients before and after an operation. It can reduce pain and improve endurance during exercise. It improves the quality of sleep, and helps reduce the symptoms of depression. It can improve mood and cognitive skills. Music also aids the recovery of stroke patients.

Noise

We are constantly exposed to noise. This exposure can be occupational, recreational or environmental. More and more studies show the harm caused by noise: both to individuals and as a public health hazard.

Hearing loss

This is an obvious result of noise. There is a condition called Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL), which accounts for approximately 10 million of the 40 million Americans who have impaired hearing.

A report from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) states that about 15% of Americans in the 20-69 years age group have developed high frequency hearing loss as a result of exposure to noise at work or during leisure activities.

Another report from the Centers for Disease Prevention (CDC) shows that about 12.5% of 6-19 year olds have had permanent hearing damage as a result of exposure to high levels of noise.

Sound waves make our eardrums vibrate. This is carried to the inner ear, where fluid conveys the impulse to hair cells. These cells send a signal through the auditory nerve to the brain, which interprets it as different types of sound. Damage to the hair cells affects our hearing. Sensitivity to high frequency sound is lost initially, and later on, we have trouble hearing the frequencies of ordinary speech.

Hair cells cannot be replaced. As they say, their death is permanent. The damage to hair cells depends on the level of sound pressure (in decibels, or dB) and the duration of our sound exposure. The sound of rustling leaves is 0 dB (the scale goes below 0).

If you listen to a personal music system at maximum volume using stock earphones, you can start getting permanent hearing damage after listening for even 15 minutes a day, if the sound goes above 100 dB, which it often does.

An idling bulldozer at 85 dB can cause hearing damage after 8 hours.

A thunderclap from a nearby storm can reach 120 dB, which can cause immediate hearing damage.

Danger level

85 dB is the level of noise which, with prolonged exposure, can cause permanent hearing damage. And the effects of noise are cumulative. Food processors, kitchen blenders and hair dryers produce sound at that level. Some squeaky rubber toys and toy sirens can have sound outputs of 90 dB.

Conversation

Most typical conversations are at 60-65 dB.

The sound pressure scale of decibels (what we call loudness) is logarithmic. This means that an increase from 65 dB to 75 dB makes the sound twice as loud. So if you go from 65 dB conversation to 85 dB busy street traffic, the sound is four times as loud.

At rock concerts, the sound levels are usually approximately 115 dB. This is 10 times the loudness of regular conversation. At this level, there is a risk of hearing loss with just one minute of exposure.

Earbuds

If you play music at a certain volume and use earbuds, your eardrums will be exposed to higher noise levels than if you had been using over-the ear-headphones. If you absolutely have to use earbuds, it would be wise not to put them in tightly in the ear canal, and to use earbuds which fit loosely.

Use ear protection

People who use drills, chainsaws, snowblowers, leafblowers, and people who ride motorcycles or shoot guns ought to consider using some protection for their ears to avoid exposure to high decibel levels.

It would also be wise to consider using earplugs when using a hair dryer or gas-powered lawn mower.

If an emergency vehicle with a loud siren passes by, you should consider covering your ears with your hands.

Non-auditory effects of noise

The harmful effects of noise go beyond hearing damage. Environmental noise causes sleep disturbance and community annoyance.

Long term exposure to environmental noise appears to be connected to high blood pressure, stroke, coronary heart disease, and cognitive problems in children. Noise levels in hospitals have also been shown to have negative effects on patients as well as staff.

Silence

“As happens sometimes, a moment settled, and hovered and remained for much more than a moment. And sound stopped and movement stopped for much, much more than a moment.”

-John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men

“God is silent. Now if only man would shut up.”

-Woody Allen

A moment of silence is often invoked to encourage reflection and to show respect. Many eastern cultures practice periods of silence. As you turn inwards, you can discover peace and clarity. As you stay quiet and just observe the splendor of nature, you can feel your body and mind heal.

Conclusion

Turn down the sound, the noise, the constant chatter. Unplug yourself from the sounds of modernity, even if it is for a few minutes a day.

As the saying goes, in silence, you will hear your soul speak. And your ears will be able to hear it.