How Noise Increases Your Health Risk
QHHL 
Nov 22 2018
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0 QHHL
You might think that a bit of noise is normal, particularly if you live in a city. But the truth is that it could be increasing your health risk and your chances of developing specific diseases.
The modern world is a noisy place. Everything makes noise from trucks to other people to appliances. You’re probably used to hearing all that noise, but that doesn’t mean that it’s good for you. In fact, noise can cause stress, which makes it a serious health risk factor. That’s why, if you live or work in a noisy area, it’s worth looking at strategies to monitor and diminish the amount of noise you’re exposed to. This will lower your stress levels and may improve your cardiovascular health as well.
Obviously noise is something you hear. But how much noise is too much is another story. Everyone has a different tolerance for noise. And if you live in a noisy area but it doesn’t bother you, it doesn’t mean that it isn’t affecting your health. There are a lot of different noises in a city including traffic noises, noises made by your neighbors, and construction. However, the noise in a city is mostly caused by traffic. This is why transportation maps can be a good way to estimate how much noise you’re exposed to. And this will allow you to more accurately evaluate your health risk.
For a long time medical researchers have known that noise exposure increases your risk of cardiovascular events. In fact, this higher health risk exists regardless of other cardiovascular risk factors. The reason for this higher risk has been a mystery for years, but now a new study presents an answer. The study has suggested that noise causes a stress response in the brain. This promotes inflammation of the blood vessels and a higher risk of heart attack and stroke.
The study analyzed 499 people who were free of cardiovascular illnesses at the start of the study. The researchers took PET and CT scan imaging of the participants’ brains and blood vessels at the start of the study. In the following 5 years, 40 participants experienced a cardiovascular event. To study their exposure to noise, the researchers used transportation maps to estimate everyday noise levels for each participant. This included the use of the Department of Transportation’s Aviation and Highway Noise Map.
The researchers found that people with high noise exposure had greater amygdala activity and arterial inflammation. Obviously, arterial inflammation is strongly linked to cardiovascular events. It’s a well-known health risk factor for heart disease. However, the activation of the amygdala was also important. The amygdala is strongly linked to the body’s stress response. This is basically where the stress response begins. The amygdala directs the release of hormones and controls other bodily responses to stress. This study found that people with this type of noise related stress-related brain activity were 3 times more likely to experience a cardiovascular event than other participants. This increased risk held even once other health risk factors were accounted for such as smoking and drinking.
Obviously, you can’t make the city or the streets quieter. However, if possible, you should take steps to reduce the amount of noise you’re exposed to. This might mean wearing earplugs at night, insulating your home, or moving to a quieter area. However, if you can’t reduce the amount of noise you’re exposed to, you shouldn’t just ignore this health risk. The damage that noise inflicts accumulates over years until it becomes serious and even dangerous. So the key becomes to monitor signs of noise related stress and take action before this happens.
If you experience health risk factors, try using HomeLab to keep track of your condition and any preventative measures you take. And if you see signs of a significant problem, you should check with your doctor as soon as possible.
Tags: Health risk, noise, noise monitoring