You may be a victim of loud noise at your workplace. Although you can identify noise aggression, you may not be aware of noise pollution as a potential source of personal injury. Noise aggression is evident, and so is the aggressor and the aggrieved. But, usually, noise pollution is not that obvious.
Obviously, noise effects have a strong subjective component and, therefore, the reactions to noise vary from one individual to another. But beyond the circumstances of each specific individual, noise increases risks for your health. According to the United States Department of Labor, noise can harm your health in several different ways. These ways can be classified as auditory and non-auditory effects. In both cases, the higher the noise intensity and the longer its duration, the bigger the effects.
It seems quite obvious that noise can damage your hearing. These are auditory effects. A very loud sound, even for an instant, can damage your eardrum. But even not so loud sounds can damage your hearing. Everyday exposure to high volumes and long generations will slowly harm your auditory system. Protect your hearing at work and be aware of the volume of your headsets when you are listening to music.
Auditory effects are not very common in relation to environmental noise as the sound levels are usually under 80 decibels. However, noise generates certain non-auditory effects. For example, difficulties in falling asleep and awakenings are common effects that you may have experienced. Other effects may not be so obvious, but in the presence of noise, your sleep quality becomes poorer. The World Health Organization alerts about cardiovascular and psychophysiological effects and changes and social behavior.
