V O L U M E 6 • I S S U E 7 • J U LY 2 0 1 2
A SLICE OF ORANGE Refreshing Your Health
GO GREEN FOR YOUR HEALTH, PART 2 • Light pollution: Glare, glare, go away • Noise pollution: Savoring the silence
Go green for your health, part 2 KEEPING YOUR EYES AND EARS POLLUTION-FREE IS A GREAT WAY TO STAY HEALTHY. KNOW THE BASICS OF COMBATING LIGHT AND NOISE POLLUTION. Last month, we discovered that going green is good for both Mother Earth and your health. But there is more to pollution control than just clean skies, soil and surf. As you know from last month’s issue, the technical definition of pollution is
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“the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem.” There are other contaminants aside from chemicals and solid wastes that can cause “instability, disorder, harm or discomfort.” The less-known kinds of pollution are light pollution and noise pollution.
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V O L U M E 6 • I S S U E 7 • J U LY 2 0 1 2
Light pollution: Glare, glare, go away
Glare may also aggravate dry-eye syn-
have a good night’s (or day’s) sleep,
drome. There are many ways to combat
invest in thick curtains. Just make sure to
Light pollution is when there is excessive
light pollution and its effects, both at
clean and change them regularly, espe-
or obtrusive artificial light—when there
home and at work:
cially if you have allergies. If this doesn’t
is too much light for one’s comfort. Ex-
• Turn off lights when you don’t need
work, consider using eye shades. They
amples include bright lights from light
it (many establishments have started
may feel uncomfortable at first, but you
posts entering your bedroom through
installing motion detectors that turn off
will get used to it.
your windows, or being blinded by
light when it detects no motion to this
• While you are in the spending
bright headlamps of cars, or glare from
end).
mood, invest in a good pair of sunglass-
lamps or a computer screen.
• You can change your light fixtures.
es, one that has anti-glare and UV pro-
Some lamps have a dimmer so you can
tection lenses. This not only reduces the
harmful
adjust the light’s brightness. This saves
impact of light pollution, but also helps
effects. Excessive lighting means wast-
both energy and your health. You can
you squint less. Excessive sunlight and
ed energy (one-fourth of today’s energy
also use lamps where you can direct
squinting can cause wrinkles on your
is used for lighting, and one third of
the direction of light towards where you
forehead and around your eyes. My
greenhouse gases can be attributed to
need it more, and away from areas
derma-friend says this is the next best
energy production for lighting). Some
where light is not desired. This way, you
thing to Botox®.
studies have also shown that the atmo-
can also use a dimmer light, thus saving
sphere is less able to remove pollutants
energy at the same time.
from itself when there is excessive light.
• Minimize computer screen glare.
Noise pollution: Savoring the silence
The natural balance of many animals
First, use an anti-glare screen. Second,
In the same way that too much light can
and plants, especially nocturnal species
keep the screen clean—dirt from the
hurt your eyes, too much noise can hurt
that thrive in the dark, are also disrupted
screen diffuses light, which aggravates
your ears. Chronic exposure to noise
by light pollution.
glare. Also check the position of the
may cause noise-induced hearing loss.
screen, and adjust the direction where
In addition, noise can cause hyperten-
Most importantly, light pollution harms
it’s facing to reduce glare.
sion and sleeping problems. Further-
human health. It can cause headaches,
• To prevent excessive light from en-
more, noise can affect one’s mood and
fatigue, anxiety, physical stress, and
tering your bedroom, and ensuring you
behavior. Ever notice that your mood
Light
pollution
has
many
decrease in sexual function. It can also
changes with the music? In the same
disrupt sleep, which is especially harm-
way, noise can cause emotional distress
ful among night-shift workers when they
and aggression.
need solid hours of sleep after work. There are many ways to reduce the impact of noise pollution: 1) reduce noise
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V O L U M E 6 • I S S U E 7 • J U LY 2 0 1 2
at its source; 2) reduce the noise reach-
tive word is respect—talk to them with
Combat the effects of noise. You can re-
ing your ears; and 3) combating the
respect and they will respect you back.
duce the impact of noise on your health,
effects of noise.
• Remember the tip about thick cur-
the stress it causes in particular, with the
tains? They help drown out noise, too!
following:
Reduce noise production with the
• You can buy industrial-grade ear
• Take deep breaths.
following steps:
muffs or ear plugs from gun stores. This
• Meditation. Focus your mind on a
• Speak softly and slowly. When we
helped us a lot last New Year’s Eve!
single concentrated idea. The effects of
speak in a more modulated manner,
We had an electronic ear muff that
prayer are the same as meditation.
people reply in the same way, causing
cancels out noise while letting normal
• Yoga. Combine meditation, breath-
a domino effect that will reduce overall
sounds such as voices pass through. It
ing, and exercise with this single
chatter noise.
was fantastic! It was like we were not
activity!
• Be mindful of your music. While
even using earmuffs at all!
many like their music blaring through
• White noise can cancel out noise.
By keeping yourself light and noise pol-
speakers or earphones, it is ultimately
White noise is similar to the noise
lution-free, you can live a less cluttered,
your ears and heart that suffer, even if
you hear from the TV when the channel
less stressful, and healthier life.
the music is something to your taste.
signs off. The sound of running water
• Turn off the TV. Most of us like to
also has the same effect. There are mo-
keep the TV on even if we are not
bile apps that create such sounds—try
watching.
downloading one. You can then plug your phone to a speaker when you
Reduce the noise reaching your ears
need noise control. This also helps ba-
with the following:
bies sleep better!
• If the noise is coming from neigh-
• If white noise isn’t your thing, down-
bors, talk to them politely about the
load “sound spa” apps instead. These
problem. Most will reduce the noise
apps produce soothing sounds, such as
without taking offense. The opera-
nature sounds and chimes.
Looking to enhance your corporate healthcare benefits? E-mail us at benefits@activelinkbenefits.com. The information in this newsletter is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Consult a doctor for all matters relating to your health, particularly for symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention. © 2012 ActiveLink
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A Slice of Orange
is a newsletter designed to help clarify basic health information and offer juicy tips on uplifting your health.
Editorial team Alvin Delfin Christine Llenes-Delfin Ivan Olegario, MD