Noise affects the heart

The recent Supreme Court directive to rein in the indiscriminate use of loudspeakers, especially during the night, on the mere authority of a police permit, has addressed a far deeper problem, than the nuisance factor of amplified sound impacting on the human ear. The September 3, 2007 issue of NEWSWEEK magazine throws light on the harmful effects of excessive noise on both the human mind and body.

Excessive noise is not just annoying, new research supports earlier studies and shares first how harmful it really is Stated in numbers:

• 210- the number of thousands of Europeans killed annually by noise related cardio-vascular stress

• 4- the number of hours of daily exposure to workplace noise sufficient to raise heart rates.

• 60- the decibel level - as loud as a dishwasher - that can trigger stress-induced heart problems.

• 2 months, retardation in a child's reading skills caused by each 5 decibel increase in near- by aircraft noise.

This indicates that the link between high decibel noise and a person's health is not speculative but a scientifically supported fact. Can't we Sri Lankans practise our faiths without loudspeakers blaring out our piety to god or gods? It's those in charge of places of worship who revel in noise pollution and not the worshippers. It gives a sort of boost to their authority and ego.

By L.K. de Alwis, Kandy