Noise Pollution: How Can You Protect Your Hearing?
Noise is a constant in our lives, to the point where it can be considered pollution and disruptive to the body.
Prolonged noise exposure can be harmful to your health in general, causing everything from irritability to insomnia, hearing loss or tinnitus.
Noise pollution includes all noises that are harmful to a person’s well-being, whether or not those noises are repetitive or loud.
In addition to affecting concentration, high noise levels can interfere with children’s learning. It can also affect our quality of life, especially when it prevents us from spending time outdoors.
The Importance of Protecting Your Hearing
It’s essential to find solutions to this public health issue. Whether it’s from aircraft, traffic or construction sites, we are bombarded with noise every day. There are ways to mitigate it; for example, we can limit traffic by taking public transportation.
When possible, you should reduce the amount of noise that reaches your ears.
Soundproof your space. If you live near a permanent source of noise, you may wish to install soundproofing panels to reduce the noise coming from outside.
Wear noise-cancelling earmuffs or custom hearing protectors if you work on a construction site. Many workplaces are loud, as are certain hobbies like hunting, going to concerts and even watching movies. Hearing protectors are a good way to protect your hearing when you’re exposed—briefly or extensively—to a noisy environment.
Whether you’re listening to music, hearing workplace noise or practicing your favourite hobbies, there are custom hearing protectors available for you. Talk to an audioprosthetist to learn more.
References: D'AMOUR, C. Une politique pour contrer la pollution sonore. Le Soleil. 2016. Government of Quebec. Pollution sonore. Online. www4.gouv.qc.ca/fr/Portail/citoyens/programme-service/Pages/Info.aspx?sqctype=sujet&sqcid=610. Consulted on February 28, 2019. MAKOPA KENDA, I., AGOUB, M. and AHAMI, A. O. T. Les effets du bruit sur la santé mentale : recension des écrits. Santé mentale au Québec. 2014.