Noise disturbs our ears. The World Health Organization (WHO) considers that they constitute a harmful pollution in 2nd position behind air pollution in terms of health impacts. Hearing is in danger when you work eight hours a day in a sound environment of more than 80 decibels (dB), the noise generated by car traffic in urban areas.
But hearing is not the only one affected. Excessive acoustic stimulation also threatens our physical and psychic balance. A September 2015 study by the Observatoire du bruit showed that noise pollution causes residents of large cities to lose 7 months to 2 years of life in good health.
Sound aggression with irreversible damage
Above 85 dB (noise from a motorcycle or tractor), the hair cells of the inner ear are damaged. And as they are not renewed, each sound aggression causes irreversible damage: chronic tinnitus (whistling or buzzing ears) and a gradual drop in hearing acuity that strike today more and more early. "Of the five million hearing impaired French, two million are under 55," says Professor Jean-Luc Puel, neurobiologist specialist in hearing. Between the hubbub of cities , the generalization of offices in open space and the fashion of the headsets that some use by pushing the volume several hours a day, serious hearing problems now occur among forty or even thirties.
120 hours of work lost per employee each year
Constant noise reduces concentration and cognitive performance . In workshops and on the road, the risk of accidents is increased. And in the open space, the attention of employees is not optimal. A Ifop study of December 2016 suggests that noise disturbances in open space (telephone ringing of neighboring offices, conversations between colleagues, printers ...) cause 30 minutes of productivity to be lost to 20% of French employees, ie a total of 120 hours lost per employee and 23 billion euros in annual losses for companies.
Disturbed sleep
Noise pollution generates psychic disorders . Thus, women aged 40 to 69 living close to a rail "black spot" consume ten times more anxiolytics and antidepressants than those who reside in a quiet neighborhood, with a socio-professional category, family situation and income level. equal.
According to data collected from 70 general practitioners in 30 municipalities in Ile-de-France, sleep is also disrupted. An intermittent sound of 45 dB (noise of a washing machine) is enough to delay falling asleep. And a sound of 55 dB (equivalent to the noise of a shop in a period of average activity) induces an unwanted nocturnal awakening. So imagine the choppy sleep of a sleeper located near a major intersection or a motorway junction. Being exposed to 85 dB for 12 hours during the day also reduces the number and duration of sleep cycles . As a result, chronic fatigue sets in over time, with a loss of motivation at work, difficulties in memorization and widespread anxiety .
The affected cardiovascular system
The noise nuisance also weakens the heart and the vessels. British researchers at Imperial College London have remotely measured the blood pressure of 140 people in the vicinity of an airport or major road. Their work, published in the "European heart Journal", proves that beyond 35 dB in the home, heart rate and blood pressure rise significantly. At each step of an additional 10 dB, the risk of hypertension rises by about 14%, "which leads to the development of chronic cardiovascular disorders," says Lars Jarup, co-author of this study. An acoustic over-stimulation actually boosts the production of adrenaline and cortisol, two stress hormones that regulate heart rate and blood pressure in the arteries.
To save your health, avoid repetitive and prolonged exposures. In the office, wear a headset if necessary. Set the volume of your phone in a quiet place, not in the street or the subway that incite to increase the power. Do not listen too long in a row: take breaks every ¾ hour or so and do not fall asleep unless your device has a sleep function that turns it off automatically after a set period of time in advance.
