Noise pollution is a very real thing, and the damage it does to the human body can now be measured. The American Public Health Association estimates 100 million Americans have bodily damage due to loud noise.
Hearing loss becomes a gateway to brain, heart and reproductive health issues.
Brain:
- Consistent noise causes the nervous system to shift into fight or flight mode. This causes stress hormones to be flushed into the blood stream.
- Cognitive decline, depression, Alzheimer’s disease
Heart:
- Increased noise level leads to increased cardiovascular events.
- Transportation noise is responsible for an increase of heart disease and heart disease-related deaths.
Reproductive:
- A rise in stress hormones reduces reproductive hormone balance.
- Increased noise level resulted in smaller birth weight.
Ironically, hospitals are one of the most noisy environments. You would think that because we know that health issues are affected by noise level, hospitals would have been designed with noise cancelling features. Not only are the patients having their health affected, but the medical staffs are as well.
What can we do?
- Make nutrition a priority. Good nutrients helps prevent hearing loss.
- Use noise canceling devices when necessary.
- Carve out more quiet time. Research shows that when we slow down, the brain goes into repair mode.
Until next time,
Dr. Polly
