We just moved to a new house in a quieter neighborhood.

In our last apartment, we were living in a building with a neighbor from hell. He blasts his speakers almost 24/7, and while everyone in the building complains, he can’t be evicted.

And after reading this article from NYT, the noise could have contributed to why I was constantly sick while in that apartment.

Researchers found out that noise pollution harms your heart and more.

Keep reading.

. . .

Noise pollution can make you sick

And when you think noise is only annoying, it does more to your body it can increase your risk for stroke, hypertension, and heart attacks and there are numerous research to back up this claim.

As far back as 2014, researchers from Europe found that noise doesn’t only affect your auditory system, it impacts your health in more ways than having a bad ear.

Noise not only annoys. It disturbs your sleep. It impairs cognitive performance.

It is found to be associated with an increased incidence of myocardial infarction, arterial hypertension, and stroke.

It not only disrupts your sleep, it increases stress hormone levels and oxidative stress which can also lead to hypertension and endothelial dysfunction.

Environmental noise affects multiple physiological functions and organs.

In short, noise pollution can harm your heart and affect your health in ways far from losing your hearing from exposure to excessive noise.

And researchers found out that the noise at night poses a bigger threat to your health than daytime noise.

. . .

Where you live is important

Are you near a train station or worse where you hear constant aircraft noise? You are likely exposing your heart to harm that can have progressive consequences through the years.

In Bankers Hill, San Diego, the soundscape is serene but the people who live there know that it isn’t the case once a jet goes roaring above their heads every 3 minutes.

That exposure of 280 times a day or 105,000 a year is not only annoying but a looming health risk for 100 million Americans every year.

. . .

Noisy environment

Key points from the video
– 💔 Noise pollution may affect heart health and increase the risk of heart disease.
– 💤 Sleep is extremely important for overall health and heart health specifically.
– 🌃 People exposed to loud noises, particularly in large cities, may face additional factors that can affect heart health.
– 🚧 Noise pollution over a long period, even if not particularly loud, can lead to increased blood pressure, cholesterol, and vascular dysfunction.
– 🎶 The body’s response to expected sounds differs from unexpected sounds, with unexpected sounds causing a sudden increase in heart rate and blood pressure.
– 🏙️ Besides moving out of the city, individuals can mitigate the risks of noise pollution by using protective gear and following common-sense measures.
– 📜 Lawmakers can play a role in reducing noise pollution through policy prescriptions, such as implementing regulations based on guidelines set by organizations like the World Health Organization.

. . .

Even when you think you get used to the noise, research says that prior noise exposure primes the body to overreact, amplifying the negative effects.

How it works is that unpleasant noise relay signals to the stress detection center in your brain — the amygdala. And if this area is overactivated it becomes harmful to your body.

What follows is that your endocrine system overreacts, with it releasing a lot of cortisol which we know can cause a lot of health damage to your body.

Then your sympathetic nervous system becomes hyperactivated, and that is where all heart-related damage comes into play.

Inflammation increases the risk of heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes.

Over time, these changes can lead to inflammation, hypertension, and plaque buildup in arteries, increasing the risk of heart disease, heart attacks, and stroke.

. . .

How loud can our bodies tolerate?

Research says anything above 65DB can cause damage to our health. In this video, even the sounds we hear inside Starbucks measure above 65DB.

In another study, four million people in Switzerland were followed for 5 years, and they found that death from cardiovascular diseases (CVD) increased, and according to their data, there were 277,506 CVD and 34,200 myocardial infarction (MI) deaths in the 15 years and these deaths are related to exposure to traffic noise.

. . .

Final words

Many Americans when asked why would they move to a different neighborhood, their top answer is noise.

And while I consider myself lucky to be able to move out from my previous apartment, where my neighbor from hell blasts his speakers I know not everyone can make the same decision.

Even the study suggests that the poor are the most vulnerable to being exposed to noise pollution.

While many factors affect our overall health, studies show that noise pollution has far more harmful effects on our bodies than previously thought.

Noise harms our hearts.

Now it all makes sense when I look for some quiet space to kill the noise in my head.

And now I know I have to pay attention to the noise in my life, the one inside my head and the external noise that I am exposed to every day.

If I want to take care of my heart, I will pay more attention to what I hear.

Thank you for reading.

Sources

Noise Could Take Years Off Your Life. Here’s How.

Cardiovascular effects of environmental noise exposure

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This post was previously published on body-mind-soul.

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