Take Control of Noise on April 12 - International Noise Awareness Day

Noise poses a serious threat to hearing, health, learning and behavior, says Cheryl Perry, Cert. Auditory-Verbal Therapist for the Provincial Services for the Hearing Impaired. "We need to make a special effort to inform the public of the necessity of creating a quiet home, school and recreational environment," she said. "International Noise Awareness Day is on April 12 and we should take stock of the effects noise has on our daily lives."

Documented research has found that continuous exposure to noise leads to physiological changes in blood pressure, sleep, digestion and other stress-related disorders. Volumes of literature exist documenting the harmful effects of noise. "It is essential," Perry says, "that we take seriously this relationship between noise and health. We need to take necessary steps to reduce noise in our lives before we risk creating a generation which suffers from the stress-related disorders and health impacts associated with noise."

Noise is one of the leading causes of hearing loss today, says Perry. "Health statistics suggest a trend that the incidence of hearing loss is occurring at younger and younger ages. Although preventable, noise-induced hearing loss is permanent."