Why Everything Is Getting Louder

October 12th, 2019

Via: The Atlantic:

Scientists have known for decades that noise—even at the seemingly innocuous volume of car traffic—is bad for us. “Calling noise a nuisance is like calling smog an inconvenience,” former U.S. Surgeon General William Stewart said in 1978. In the years since, numerous studies have only underscored his assertion that noise “must be considered a hazard to the health of people everywhere.” Say you’re trying to fall asleep. You may think you’ve tuned out the grumble of trucks downshifting outside, but your body has not: Your adrenal glands are pumping stress hormones, your blood pressure and heart rate are rising, your digestion is slowing down. Your brain continues to process sounds while you snooze, and your blood pressure spikes in response to clatter as low as 33 decibels—slightly louder than a purring cat.

Experts say your body does not adapt to noise. Large-scale studies show that if the din keeps up—over days, months, years—noise exposure increases your risk of high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, and heart attacks, as well as strokes, diabetes, dementia, and depression.

2 Responses to “Why Everything Is Getting Louder”

  1. prov6yahoo says:

    Sort of related: I find a lot of TV shows and Movies have the music and background noise volumes cranked WAY up, while the characters’ dialogue goes on at almost a whisper. It makes me want to think this is done to get people, who want to actually hear what the characters are saying, to buy the DVD.

  2. Dennis says:

    If you’re traveling long distance on a motorcycle, wearing earplugs can make the difference between arriving road weary or arriving feeling alert and relaxed. Being a city dweller for now, I wear them to bed for a better night’s sleep.

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