Is your health deteriorating? Beware! Noise may be killing your health.

A car honks its horn as it speeds by, and the sound of a power drill echoes through the house next door as renovations begin early in the morning. The various noises that fill our lives not only make us irritable and mentally exhausted, but now research also indicates that noise may seriously affect our physical and mental health.

A study published in the prestigious British medical journal *The Lancet* mentioned that...Persistent but ignored noise not only damages hearing but also harms the health of other organs and has a significant impact on sleep, heart disease, and cognitive behavior.In his book "Don't Let Noise Murder Your Hearing," Dr. Yu Renfang outlines four types of noise hazards. Take a look and see if your health is being murdered by noise without you even realizing it.

Noise pollution hazard 1 - Insomnia or poor sleep
A noise level of 32 decibels can disrupt sleep.
The ears are organs that never rest. Even when you are asleep, your auditory system remains "on," continuously receiving ambient sounds. In sleep, a perceptible volume exceeding 60 decibels will wake you up. However, even a volume of around 32 decibels, which is not high in volume or frequency, can still trigger sleep alertness, causing sleep disturbances or interruptions.

Noise pollution hazard 2 - Slower digestion and reduced saliva production
[A noise level exceeding 70 decibels can affect appetite.]
All-you-can-eat hot pot and barbecue restaurants always play loud, fast-paced music, seemingly to create a cheerful atmosphere. However, in this pleasant atmosphere, you may find yourself eating less without even realizing it!

The combined noise from the bustling crowds and background sounds in a hot pot restaurant can exceed 80 decibels. Sounds exceeding 70 decibels can slow down digestion and reduce saliva production, preventing food from being properly digested and creating a feeling of fullness. Besides slowing down system functions, sustained high volumes can also cause serious damage to the ears.

Noise pollution hazard 3 – Increased blood pressure, leading to a higher incidence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
[A decibel level exceeding 70 is associated with elevated blood pressure and a significantly increased incidence of cardiovascular disease.]
Volumes exceeding 70 decibels can affect the digestive system, raise blood pressure, and impair blood circulation and autonomic nervous system function. Studies further show that being in an environment with 100 decibels for 10 minutes can increase adrenaline levels, and exposure to 70-90 decibels for 5 years increases the risk of hypertension by 2.47 times. In hospitals, the sounds of equipment, conversations, and shouts can all increase the pressure on patients' hearts and blood vessels, prolonging recovery time.

Noise pollution hazard 4 - causing psychological problems such as depression and anxiety
In terms of mental health, noise can cause poor concentration, low mood, anxiety, and behavioral abnormalities due to sleep problems. In 2011, the WHO officially listed noise as one of the nine environmental stressors that affect health, believing that noise has a negative impact on mental state, cardiovascular disease (hypertension, myocardial infarction), and learning ability.

※Decibel levels of common sounds in daily life※

News Source:Good morning and health