When you think of the word pollution, what do you think of? Car fumes? Burning fossil fuels? Although these are undoubtedly common causes of air pollution, the word itself is defined as any presence in the environment that has harmful effects. This includes everything from water pollution to light pollution, and of course, sound pollution.
Yes, you can experience negative health effects from noise — and we’re faced with this seemingly harmless form of pollution each day.
What exactly is sound pollution and why should we care?
Being able to hear the world around us is a gift. As we perceive the world around us, auditory perception allows us to hear chirping birds, music, and so many other wonderful things we often take for granted.
However, there’s another side to noise — one that is much less desirable.
Sound pollution, also referred to as noise or environmental pollution, is the propagation of sound, which has a negative impact on both humans and animals. Most commonly, this noise is made by machines and transportation systems.
When we are exposed to excessive noise for long periods of time, this has been shown to increase our risk of significant health complications. Based on one 10-year study, released by the World Health Organization, at least one million healthy years of life are lost annually in Europe alone due to sound pollution.
It was concluded that there is “overwhelming” evidence that prolonged exposure to sound pollution results in serious adverse health consequences. After air pollution, traffic noise ranked second among the environmental factors which threaten public health.
5 ways sound pollution is impacting your health
Although each night we go to sleep, our ears never rest. This means that while you sleep, your auditory system is transmitting sound and your brain is actively interpreting those sounds. Whether it be traffic, music, or your neighbors, even if you’re not aware that you hear these sounds, your body is reacting.
Sound pollution sets off your body’s acute stress response
Sound pollution causes a stress reaction in the body. This is particularly the case while you sleep. Even if you do not wake up, continual noise causes an acute stress response, raising your blood pressure and heart rate. In turn, this may lead to more severe health complications.
To study this effect, researchers focused on residents living near Heathrow Airport. What they found was that high levels of aircraft noise were associated with coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease, as well as an increased risk of stroke. Their findings were published in The BMJ.
Heart attacks are also a concern
Similarly, it has been found that prolonged noise exposure significantly increases your risk of a heart attack and in turn, poses a higher mortality risk. Another key study focused on aircraft noise over a 15-year period. What they found was that aircraft noise was associated with mortality from myocardial infarction (otherwise known as a heart attack).
Sound pollution may affect children’s learning
There are 20+ studies that have found a relationship between noise (mainly from traffic or aircraft) and poorer long-term memory and reading comprehension. It was found that in the UK, the reading age of children was delayed by up to two months when noise exposure increased an average of five decibels.
Poor mental health has been linked to sound pollution
Noise pollution is associated with “noise annoyance” — which increases your risk of anxiety and depression. As stated in one 2016 study, published in PLoS One, noise pollution (based on aircraft, traffic, railways, outdoor, and industrial noise) was significantly linked to poor mental health. In fact, strong noise annoyance was associated with a two-fold higher prevalence of anxiety and depression.
Significant sleep disturbances
We have already touched on the association between sleep and sound pollution, as environmental noise can have dramatic effects on sleep patterns. The main issues include sleep disturbances, restless nights, and altered sleep stages (mainly a reduction in REM sleep). Poor sleep has been linked to everything from inflammation to Alzheimer’s.
Reducing your risk of the negative health effects associated with sound pollution
As reported by the UN, approximately 55 percent of people currently live in urban areas — a proportion that is expected to increase to 68 percent by the year 2050. This means that the majority of us are likely exposed to constant noise.
Of course, the easiest way to intervene is to lessen the noise. Whether that means installing dual-paned windows or finding a quieter place to work, this is step one. Anything that is within your control, such as having the TV on as constant background noise, can be addressed immediately.
For those who live near busy roads or airports, play beneficial music at night which calms your physiology. Soothing nature music is pleasing for your body and mind and will help you drown out the hustle and bustle outside your front door.
It also doesn’t hurt to “train” your body’s stress response. Those who are actively involved in meditation and yoga can actually curb stress based on a wide range of techniques. If you’re a beginner, please refer to this overview of guided meditation.
At the end of the day, simply being aware of sound pollution is the most crucial stepping stone. By understanding its potential impact on your health, you will become more motivated to take positive action. Don’t succumb to the effects of sound pollution.
After all, the British historian, Robert Lacey hit the nail on the head when he said, “Of all the varieties of modern pollution, noise is the most insidious.”
-Susan Patterson