Six ways living by a noisy road can be making you ill – and just how loud is too noisy?
THE constant rumble of traffic is what brings many cities to life.
And as the summer months roll in, the hustle and bustle of your neighbourhood is likely to drift in through your windows, flung open to cool your home.
But research suggests the sounds that come could be making you sick.
Noise pollution has been linked with life-threatening conditions including cardiovascular problems, type 2 diabetes and dementia.
Charlotte Clark, professor of epidemiology at St George’s University of London tells Sun Health: “Many of us don’t think of noise as being damaging but it has a huge impact on the health of the population.
“In the UK, it is estimated that 9.5million people are regularly exposed to harmful levels of road noise, 1.2million for railways and one million for aircraft noise.
“This is estimated to cause 6,000 new cases of heart disease a year and 1,000 premature deaths. And it’s likely these are underestimates as we are starting to see health affected at lower levels of noise.”
Many studies link poor health and noise pollution back to sleep disturbance.
Prof Clark says: “Your ears keep listening even when you are asleep and if there is a loud noise, it might wake you up or you might shift towards less restorative sleep.
“This means you get less deep sleep, which is not good for your health and is linked with many health issues including heart disease, obesity and mental health issues.”
Here, Prof Clark reveals exactly what loud noises could be doing to your body.
LISTEN UP!
ONE in five or 12 million adults in the UK are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus.
For 1.2 million of them, the hearing loss is so severe they would not be able to hear most conversational speech.
Exposure to loud noise is the second biggest cause of hearing loss after ageing and you might not even notice the effects until years after you were first exposed.
Prof Clark says: “Damage occurs throughout your life.
“And it’s possible your hearing may be damaged by just one single event of loud noise.”
AT THE HEART OF IT
HEART disease is a major cause of death in the UK and worldwide, and noise pollution could be an underlying driver.
Scientists at Imperial College London found people living near Heathrow were more likely to be admitted to hospital for heart issues.
It’s thought noise — even during the night — can raise stress levels, which affects the heart.
Prof Clark explains: “If something noisy happens when you are asleep, there are changes in blood pressure and your heart rate goes up.
“For someone who lives by a busy road for 10 to 20 years, the impact may be severe.”
BRAIN GAME
IN 2021, a Danish study published in medical journal The BMJ found that people exposed to loud traffic noise had a 27 per cent higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia.
Prof Clark says: “Loud noise narrows the blood vessels to the brain which we know is a risk factor for dementia.
“We are also starting to hypothesise whether noise may also cause inflammation in the body and lead to oxidative stress, which are also risk factors for dementia.”
Hearing loss is also linked with dementia.
SILENT KILLER
STUDIES suggest noise pollution may also be involved with the development of type 2 diabetes, the main causes of which include, being overweight, age and ethnicity.
A review of research in 2015 said people exposed to more than 60 decibels had a 22 per cent higher risk of type 2 diabetes.
A Government study in 2023 said 40 per cent of adults in England were exposed to road traffic noise over 50dBs.
Mice studies have also found chronic noise exposure can lead to insulin resistance, a precursor or cause of type 2 diabetes.
FAT CHANCE
CONSTANT exposure to loud noise isn’t good for your waistline either.
A joint University of Oxford and University of Leicester study found a link between those living in high traffic-noise areas and obesity.
People living near a busy road or motorway were more likely to have a larger waist circumference and higher BMI.
Prof Clark says: “Unwanted noise can affect quality of life and disturb sleep.
“It may increase stress levels and this in turn can lead to weight gain.”
Sleep deprivation has been shown to increase the number of calories a person eats the next day.
MENTAL HEALTH
UNWANTED noise can also increase the risk of mental health problems.
A 2019 review of ten studies found four per cent higher odds of depression and 12 per cent of anxiety per 10dB increase in road traffic noise.
Prof Clark says: “We know that exposure to aircraft, road and railway noise is associated with higher levels of depression and anxiety.
“Sometimes someone may find a noise particularly disturbing.
“If you feel annoyed by a noise, that is a stress response and your body starts to release stress hormones. These lead to poor mental health.”
JUST HOW LOUD IS TOO NOISY?
WHILE we can’t always control the noise around us, we can take steps to prevent it doing us harm.
Experts generally agree that damage starts to occur at sounds of 85dB – that’s decibels – and above, over an eight-hour period. That level of noise is the equivalent of a ringing phone or a food processor in action.
Franki Oliver, audiology manager for RNID, the national hearing loss charity, says: “By the time you get to 100dB – which is very common in many live music venues or nightclubs – the exposure time before damage may occur is only 15 minutes.
“In a real-life situation, you should be able to talk to someone who is two metres away without having to shout over background noise.
“If you can’t be heard, the noise level may be hazardous.
“If you spend a lot of time in these environments, take regular breaks away from the din, such as five minutes every hour.
“If you go to a lot of gigs, consider wearing earplugs and try to avoid standing right next to the speaker.
“There is no cure for noise-induced hearing loss so it’s really important to take steps to reduce the risk.”