A Slice of Orange - July 2012 - Go green for your health, part 2

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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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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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

Benefits Made Better

ActiveLink 7/F Electra House Building 115-117 Esteban St., Legaspi Village, Makati City www.activelinkbenefits.com

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