Does Noise Bring Out the Aggressive Animal in Us?

Music tames the wildest beast but is noise too loud, too invading, too ever present to allow us to be relaxed or fall asleep? Studies claim that in the right conditions it would be so.

Humans hear audible sound in the wavelength range of from 64-23,000 Hz, whereas Beluga Whales hear sounds in a range from 1,000 to 123,000 Hz. The wavelength is heard by our ears as pitch, while loudness is usually discussed in terms of decibels.

How Noise Effects Humans

East-European studies documented chronic exposure to radio-frequency microwave energy resulted in a neurasthenic syndrome noted by headache, fatigue, weakness, dizziness, moodiness, and nocturnal insomnia. Other studies showed that direct wireless communication was possible via microwaves, but too high dosage could cause burns. [2]

Another study reported that music that contained sound waves below the audible range made people react with shivery, uneasy, or nervous, chills down the spine feelings. This range of low frequency sound can be generated by storms, winds, and atomic testing activity. [1]

Loud noise can temporarily deafen a person, or leave them with a ringing noise in their ears.

How Noise and Music Effects Prenatal Babies

Ultrasound pictures are taken for medical reasons during prenatal care, but the FDA cautioned against ultrasound use because ultrasound will raise the temperature of tissues, may have a jarring effect, and there wasn't any long term information about the effects of fetal exposure to ultrasound. [3]

According to Giselle Whitwell, babies move to their mother's voices, jump in time to the beat of music and have preferences to songs and stories told to them prenatally[4].

How Sound is Used by Animals

Charles Darwin documented in The Descent of Man, that animals emit sounds when strongly excited, when associated with terror or when distressed. He also notes that animals call to each other during mating season to charm or excite each other. Rage also requires all the muscles to contract. [5]

Two Most Common Problems Related to Noise Pollution

According to Daniel G. Nunoz, the two most common problems related to noise pollution were annoyance and hearing loss. Lack of sleep, increased blood pressure, increased heart rate and muscular reactions, but all digestion stops. Some people reportedly committed suicide because noise levels continued over time. Mr. Nunoz made recommendations about noise reductions and setting advisories on the level of noise people should hear, less than 90 decibels for no more than 4 hours daily[6]. A study by Professor Andrew Smith etal, corroborated the findings but found that white noise at 80 decibels was easier to ignore and that some of the symptoms for annoyance was closely related to the overall mental health of the individual[7].

[1] Robert C. Cowan, "Eerie Feeling? Maybe you're just hearing things," Christian Science Monitor, Sept. 18, 2003

[2] Don R. Justesen, Microwaves and Behavior, Labatories of Experimental Neuropsychology, VA Hospital, Kansas City, Missouri, Aug 21, 1974

[3] Carol Rados, "FDA Cautions Against Ultrasound 'Keepsake' Images, OBGYN.net, reprinted from FDA Consumer Magazine viewed 6/25/2004

[4] Giselle E. Whitwell, R.M. T., "The Importance of Prenatal Sound and Music", www.birthpsychology.com, as of 6/16/2003

[5] Charles Darwin, "The Descent of Man"

[6] Daniel G. Nunoz, "Cause and Effects of Noise Pollution", http://darwin.bio.uci.edu/~sustain/global/sensem/S98/Nunez/Noise.html

[7] Professor Andrew Smith, Professor David Nutt, Dr. Susan Wilson, Neil Rich, Dr. Sheila Hayward, and Susan Heatherley, "Noise and Insomnia: a study of community noise exposure", Department of Health, 11/18/2002, http://www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/HealthAndSocialCareTopics/NoisePollution