We don’t usually think about how loud sounds are unless they are irritating. Sound can have a profound impact on the body, with hearing loss the most obvious. But noise can also increase blood pressure, cause headaches, lead to hypertension and cause sleep disturbance.
To get an idea of how loud different sounds are, play around with the NIOSH noise meter.
Shoveling snow in winter isn’t likely to damage your hearing, but using a snow blower may. Don’t forget to wear hearing protection at home as well as at work, and keep the volume on the stereo or MP3 player turned down.