Here Are A Few Examples Of Sounds Effects on Education and Healthcare

Noise Levels In Education

Cognitive development is impaired when homes or schools are near sources of noise such as highways and airports.

Noise affects learning, reading, problem solving, motivation, school performance, and social and emotional development.

Children who live in noisy environments have been shown to have elevated blood pressures and elevated levels of stress-induced hormones.

 American National Standards Institute calls for a maximum ambient noise level of 35 dB.

 Many classrooms currently do not meet the recommendations of this standard, but at least one state, Connecticut, has already adopted the use of ANSI S12.60 for its schools.

Noise Levels In Healthcare

Excessive noise, and its effect on rest, are high on the list of complaints made by patients on post-discharge patient satisfaction surveys.

Excessive noise in health care settings can induce headaches, cause irritability, prolong wound healing and increase sensitivity to pain.

Noise levels in hospitals are twice what they were a few decades ago. They're approaching the level of harm, and they're definitely at the level of stress.

Health care is noisier than ever. Worldwide, the sound levels inside hospitals average 72 decibels during the day and 60 decibels at night — far exceeding the standard of 40 decibels or less, set by the World Health Organization.

 Did you know ... ? Tapping on the top of an incubator is equivalent to the sounds of heavy traffic during rush hour!

In her 1859 book "Notes on Nursing," Florence Nightingale railed against unnecessary noise, calling it "the most cruel absence of care."