Dr. Vivek Baliga B

There are many different types of noise one may hear in an office. This includes people talking, phones ringing, construction sounds, etc. Complaining about noise in the office can seem silly. However, continuous exposure to noise can affect a person’s mental and physical health. It is not good for the company wither as working in noisy conditions can affect productivity in terms of the worker’s ability to concentrate on tasks and the quality of work being done.

Noise and Health Risks
When talking about noise, the first health effect that comes to mind is a loss of hearing. In many cases, prolonged exposure to noisy conditions can permanently damage hearing. Noise also affects blood pressure levels and can cause sudden spikes. Noise also affects a person’s cholesterol levels. In addition, it can make simple tasks stressful. It can also lead to mental issues such as moodiness, depression and anxiety.

Noise and the Heart
Working in a noisy atmosphere can double a person’s risk of suffering from heart disease. High cholesterol levels caused by noise can thicken artery walls and reduce the amount of space available for blood flow. When combined with high blood pressure, this can have a disastrous effect. It can lead to the rupturing of blood vessels or can cause blood clots to be formed. Studies have also shown that people exposed to loud noise at work are more likely to smoke. This in turn further increases the risk of heart disease.

Protecting the Heart
Some noises in an office can be controlled while others cannot. For example, an office may set a rule for all phones to ring at a low volume. However, nothing much can be done about construction sounds. Hence, it is important to be proactive in protecting yourself from the noise. An easy way to do this is by wearing protective hearing devices such as earmuffs or earplugs. When playing music through such devices, it is important to regulate the volume it is being played at. One should also not listen to music continuously through these devices. Devices that create white noise can also be beneficial. For example, the humming of a fan can block out other unwanted sounds. Workers experiencing hearing loss should consult a doctor at the earliest. This can help prevent further loss of hearing and lower stress levels that in turn keep the heart healthier.

Almost everyone these days is familiar with headaches. The throbbing pain that invades your headspace when you are in the middle of your meeting or work – where you need to focus. It is unforgiving and a big nuisance.

Mostly common conditions like fatigue, lack of sleep, stress, sinus and migraine cause pain in the head. But recent studies show that high blood pressure, or what is commonly known as hypertension, may also lead to severe headaches. Most of the time high blood pressure do not exhibit any symptoms and hence is referred to as ‘the silent killer’. More often than not people do not even realize how a mild headache can be a result of hypertension.

The Link between Hypertension and Headaches
Hypertension or high blood pressure usually occurs when the force of the blood flow in the arteries increase. A headache resulting from high blood pressure usually affects both sides of the head, particularly the temple regions. One major and common cause of high blood pressure is stress. Although people may not be able to find a relationship between the two, one may experience mild but steady pain throughout the head particularly in the forehead or at the back of the head.

In high blood pressure, a palpitating sensation in the temple region often accompanies the sensation of pain in the head. Pain in the temple region is usually accompanied by mild headaches for which you should seek medical attention. Hypertensive emergency is normally considered when the blood pressure reaches above 180/110. Besides headaches, high blood pressure can also take a serious toll on your health leading to stroke or heart attack, if not treated on time.

There are three types of hypertension conditions that are followed by mild to severe headaches:

1. Malignant Hypertension- Sudden or rapid increase in blood pressure causes malignant hypertension, which requires medical attention. This is more common among young adults and women with pregnancy-induced high blood pressure.
2. Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension- This condition is characterized by increased blood pressure around the brain and is commonly diagnosed with symptoms like vision problems, shoulder pain, thumping noise in the ears, nausea, and severe headaches almost every day.
3. Hypertensive Encephalopathy- An extreme version of elevated blood pressure, can cause swelling in the brain, severe headaches that may worsen, nausea, dizziness, seizures and even coma.

Uncontrolled high blood pressure can be deadly, and is more common among smokers and older people. The condition can be controlled by adopting certain dietary measures- diet rich in vegetables and fruits, but low in fat, salt, sugary and sweetened beverages, and red meat. However, with proper medications and a balanced diet, one may be able to keep their blood pressure in check. Once the blood pressure normalizes, the headache also disappears in no time.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!