Long-term exposure to low frequency noise (LFN) is harmful to health. This acoustic stressor causes symptoms that affect many physiological systems in the body, including: perimetal thickening without inflammation process; depressions, increased irritability and aggressiveness; extracellular matrix changes and abnormalities in cardiovascular structures.
This pathology has been coined “vibroacoustic disease.” Unfortunately, its existence has received no scientific recognition other than from those responsible for coining it.
Diagnosis
This condition is a whole body pathology caused by excessive exposure to low frequency noise (LFN) that manifests through abnormal accumulation of extra-cellular matrixes – mostly collagen and elastin – within various systems in the body, with serious health effects reverberating throughout. Unfortunately, mainstream science underrecognized this syndrome which led to many misdiagnoses by general practitioners and specialty physicians alike.
At first, symptoms of VAD typically include mood and behavioral changes that range from irritability, aggression, insomnia and apathy to hallucinations, memory loss depression anxiety sex disturbances. Other early indicators may include joint, back, chest or other muscular pain symptoms.
Advanced stages of the disease may be marked by an inability to concentrate, loss of appetite, difficulty sleeping and fatigue. Patients often suffer from fungal and parasitic skin infections as well as inflammation of the stomach lining causing nausea and blood in urine. Later stages may impact cardiovascular structures while lung tumors may also develop.
One of the primary effects of vibroacoustic disease is vertigo, which can have devastating repercussions for an individual’s quality of life and ability to work. Researchers have discovered that those suffering from vibroacoustic disease show hyperintense foci on T2 brain MRI scans of their cerebral white matter, cerebellum and basal nuclei that most likely indicate ischemia as their cause.
These patients also show other telltale signs, including balance disturbances that force them out of work, respiratory failure and vibroacoustic pulmonary therapy treatments every 4 hours to speed healing processes and increase outcomes for treatment. It has been suggested that vibroacoustic pulmonary therapy accelerates healing while improving results of therapy treatments in these cases.
Symptoms
Researchers speculate that noise sensitivity is caused by exposure to loud noise exceeding 110 decibels (high intensity) and below 100 hertz (low frequency), such as found in dance clubs, powerful car audio systems or passenger cabins on twin-turboprop airplanes. They have noted a range of symptoms – mood and behavioral changes, balance disturbances, fatigue, heart palpitations, skin irritation, respiratory disorders, loss of appetite, intestinal problems and digestive tract inflammation – that manifest themselves with prolonged exposure.
Four scientists who first coined the term VAD in late 2002 described its progression as impacting multiple organ systems and impacting all parts of the body, not just one part. According to them, it manifests itself through changes to cells’ morphology and thickening extracellular matrix thickness, as well as abnormalities such as the presence of pulmonary fibrosis; changes to cardiovascular structures including abnormal blood vessels; adenomatous tumors; stomach lining fibrosis; bleeding of various types; pancreatic inflammation; balance disturbances sleep disorders or headaches.
Researchers noted that LFN exposure has become a problem in certain professions such as commercial and military aircraft technicians, ship machinists, restaurant workers and disk jockeys. Furthermore, VAD patients may be treated for depression and anxiety. Two unpublished conference papers claimed to demonstrate conclusively that the disease was related to and caused by wind turbines but neither provided scientific proof.
Treatment
Vibroacoustic treatment entails transmitting low frequency sine wave vibrations through an apparatus into the body in order to alleviate pain, increase circulation and facilitate movement (9). It has become widely acclaimed as an effective means of relieving pain while improving blood flow and aiding movement (9).
Studies conducted by our group focused on using vibroacoustic stimulation with COVID-19 patients and those who had coexisting conditions (12). When combined with physiotherapy, this technique restored bronchial conduction disorders, increased ventilation-perfusion ratios, recruited the lungs more successfully, increased drainage functions of small-caliber bronchi, which resulted in active sputum discharge (13).
Vibroacoustic therapy uses frequencies between 20 and 100 hertz or pulses per second for therapy sessions, which correspond to brainwave activities and functions being studied by neuroscience researchers (16). Vibrations resulting from these frequencies also feel like deep physical cellular stimulation of skin and muscles, increasing circulation while diminishing pain (17). Vibroacoustic stimulation creates internal vibrations similar to hand/mechanical massage that create the sensation of inner body massage (18).
Utilizing a device specifically designed for this form of physiotherapy, the most effective use will expose patients to vibrations between 37-42 Hz. This frequency range produces maximum pressure fluctuations in large airways thereby efficiently treating chest (see Figure 2).
Vibrational stimulation therapy has also proven useful in patients suffering from chondromalacia of the patellofemoral joint (19). We found that vibrational stimulation improved knee joint motion quality by speeding up its flexion-extension cycle (20).
At Montare Behavioral Health, our goal is to offer cutting-edge treatments and services to Los Angeles community. One such groundbreaking treatment option is vibroacoustic pulmonary therapy which may alleviate symptoms associated with coronavirus disease. To find out more about our available treatment options please contact us now – our professional staff would be more than happy to answer any of your queries about treatment! (2021)
Prevention
People allege that wind turbines create vibrations which lead to various symptoms known as the “wind turbine syndrome.” This theory is based on low-frequency noise and infrasound vibrations; reports on this subject have become widespread, and numerous publications have focused on it.
Unfortunately, much of this research has been disproven by an analysis of its self-citation rates. Furthermore, claims that wind turbines cause VAD are founded upon an incorrect assumption: that noise only affects ears.
Low-frequency noise (LFN) must become recognized as both an occupational and environmental source of disease, even now millions of blue-collar workers, architects, and homemakers are becoming ill from LFN exposure alone.
