Constant banging and rattling at work does not just disrupt concentration or cause hearing problems such as tinnitus, it can also contribute to stress and high blood pressure, also known as hypertension.
Researchers looked at the effects of high noise levels in clothing factories in Bangladesh and found three in 10 of workers assessed had hypertension.
This condition is estimated to affect around a billion people worldwide and to contribute to premature deaths linked to related conditions such obesity, heart disease and diabetes.
“While the mechanism is still not well-explored, it is thought that the stress response by the body to chronic sound exposure causes hormonal imbalances that gradually leads to a permanent elevation of blood pressure,” said Bangladesh’s Directorate General of Health Services epidemiologist Dr Golam Dastageer Prince.
Around half the remaining workers were “pre-hypertensive,” according to the researchers, who said their assessments factored in other potential contributory factors such as weight and smoking.
The workers surveyed averaged nearly 16 years of on-the-job exposure to noise intensity ranging from 96-111 decibels, above the recommended maximum of 85 decibels over an eight-hour shift.
“As the study focused on workers exposed to more than 85 decibels noise for long periods of time, any profession causing workers to experience similar exposure might experience similar blood pressure impacts,” Dr Prince said.
He added that the findings, which were presented at a conference in India run by The American College of Cardiology, highlight the need for workers to wear protective gear. – dpa
