From startling construction sounds to the din of the traffic to the roar of airplanes overhead—some noises are more than a nuisance. Millions of Americans live in places where their daily noise exposure impacts their health—and their lifespans.
Residents across the country, from urban centers to seemingly quiet suburbs, were interviewed about their daily noise exposure in a project published by The New York Times. Along with scientists and medical experts, the team analyzed how everyday sound affects the brain and body after controlling for other influential factors.
“Those who lived in areas with high levels of transportation noise were more likely to have highly activated amygdalas, arterial inflammation and—within five years—major cardiac events,” The NYT reports, citing a study from Massachusetts General Hospital. Further, hearing loud noises can create the onset of cardiac events like a heart attack.
Unpleasant sounds like a jarring alarm or speedy train car trigger the amygdala, or the emotional processing center of the brain, activating the body’s stress response.
Beyond an initial stress reaction, the sympathetic nervous system also responds to levels of high noise, which can increase heart rate and cause blood pressure to rise, according to the NYT research. Constant exposure to unsafe noise levels can put the body at risk for hypertension and inflammation leading to heart disease.
And more, high noise levels contribute to the quantity and quality of sleep people get, affecting everything from mood and productivity to physical health and chronic disease risk. The NYT cites research showing communities of color and schools where more students are on free or reduced lunch are more likely to be exposed to noise deemed unsafe.
Aside from health outcomes, hearing loss has implications for the workplace. Those who have hearing loss are more likely to be less productive at work and underemployed or unemployed, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The general recommendation for sound is an average of 70 decibels (dB) over 24 hours. Noise levels should not go above 85 dB during a one-hour duration. But 3 million people in the U.S. may live in areas where the average noise levels rise above 70 dB, according to the Department of Transportation.
To address noise’s harmful effects on the brain and body in the communities most affected, state and federal policies have to institute measures to mitigate sound. The NYT reports that Switzerland has “quiet hours,” mainly overnight, while Paris has “noise cameras” testing how loud vehicles are on the streets.
In the meantime, people can control what they can.
Yes, turn your music down
Lower volumes of sounds can be tolerated for longer than higher volumes. Consider monitoring the volume of your morning beats or podcasts.
Previous research published late last year found too many of us are bumping the music in our headphones a little too loudly—especially as we work from home more often and listen to sounds throughout the day. Over one billion young people are at risk for hearing loss due to their listening devices, as well as from attending loud music venues.
“This overexposure that a lot of people clearly are engaging in can have detrimental effects on their health,” Dr. Lauren Dillard, author of a previous study on the health effects of unsafe listening practices, tells Fortune, adding it can be hard to mitigate unsafe listening practices because there are seldom immediate consequences.
The limit for healthy listening by the WHO is 75 dB for 127 hours over seven days, 80 dB for 40 hours over seven days, or 110 dB for two minutes over seven days. Music in headphones can rise to over 100 dB, so your volume should not reach its peak, especially for long periods.
The iPhone’s health app can also alert you when you’re listening to music that’s too loud.
“I would just really encourage people to think a little bit more long term about their health and their hearing health because we really do want to avoid the impact of hearing loss,” Dillard previously told Fortune.
Mitigate environmental noise
While the noise where you live—from the streets to the train tracks—is not something you can control, there are smaller daily habits you can focus on to protect yourself. The AARP recommends seeking out quiet bars and restaurants when you go out, and closing car windows to stamp out some of the environmental noise when driving.
Take breaks from loud sounds
The longer the exposure to unsafe sound levels, the more damaging the effects. Therefore, experts recommend taking breaks in loud venues, walk further away from the source, and limit the duration of exposure to loud noise.
Protect your ears
The CDC recommends using devices to protect your ears when necessary—like when around loud construction or when attending a music venue.
“High-fidelity earplugs maintain audio quality better than other hearing protectors because they lower the sound intensity more evenly across different pitches,” according to It’s a Noisy Planet. Protect Their Hearing, an education campaign from the National Institute of Health.
