Noise and Our Health — What Are the Benefits of a Quiet Environment?

Noise can have significant health effects. While certain sounds can be healing (such as the wind, or a beautiful piece of music), and healing sounds help us improve our physical, emotional, and spiritual selves, what is noise? How does it differ from healing sounds or music that we don’t like? In addition to music, what noises are present in our homes and our everyday workspaces? Finally, what is the impact that it can have on our health?

During the last year, the pandemic forced many of us around the world to retreat to our homes. As a result, there was a dramatic drop in our exposure to noise, including cars, planes, lawnmowers, leaf blowers, and horns honking. One study estimates the exposure dropped almost 50% and had potentially dramatic effects of people’s health during that time (Bickel-Michigan, 2020). For the first time in many years, many people heard birds chirping, saw wildlife in their neighborhood venture out into quiet streets, and realized how noisy their lives had become. The silence experienced as we walked into nearly vacant stores and neighborhoods or drove down almost empty streets was shocking, freeing, calming, healing, and (for some) distressing. Many individuals had never experienced that level of quiet, noise-free existence in their lives.

In a typical day, human beings rarely experience quiet. Our homes, towns, cities, and work environments rarely allow us to escape noise, the sound level is often harmful, and the background noise rarely contains useful information.

Noise is defined by some as complex sound waves, while others define it as unwanted or undesirable sound without agreeable musical quality (Stichler, 2001; Venolia, 1988).

• It is more easily tolerated if it is under one’s control, if it has some relation to the listener, or if it is perceived as contributing to a positive outcome (Venolia, 1988). For example, your own lawnmower is less annoying than your neighbor’s, and a fan is more meaningful if it is cooling the room.
• It is also relatively more tolerable if it is considered unavoidable (such as rain), but it is much more annoying if it is isolated, steady, or repetitive (such as drops from a leaky faucet).
• Annoyance is also cumulative. If you listen to noise all day long, you are more likely to be irritated by a single loud noise during the ensuing quiet evening.

Noise pollution is equally difficult to define. It is unwanted, unpleasant, or disturbing sounds, and it is transient (Environmental Protection Agency [EPA], 2017). There are differing opinions about how much noise pollution is too much. Whatever the definition, environmental noise is considered a pollutant, one of the most pervasive globally, and a hazard to human health and hearing. Most individuals are not aware of the hazardous effects of noise, yet even everyday sounds like street traffic or conversation can be stressful and cause unpleasant effects.

Noise can (EPA, 2017; Juang, Lee, Yang, & Chang, 2010; Leibrock & Harris, 2011; Luck & Keegan, 2016; Reiling et al., 2004; Sadler et al., 2008; Venolia, 1988):

• Increase temporary or permanent hearing loss
• Disrupt sleep
• Increase blood pressure and respirations
• Increase cardiac arrhythmias
• Increase anxiety, confusion, agitation, fatigue, and psychic disorders
• Decrease immunity and immune system recovery
• Increase cerebral blood flow
• Increase blood cortisol and cholesterol levels
• Disturb digestion and upset stomach or ulcers
• Contribute to poor work performance
• Increase pain perception and the need for medication
• Intensify the effects of drugs, alcohol, aging, and carbon monoxide

Noise and the Environment

Noise also impacts wildlife. Ships, seismic surveys, oil drilling, naval sonar devices, and human activities on the ocean have been shown to be harmful to whales and dolphins that depend on echolocation to survive. Birds subject to loud noises have fewer chicks. Animals that use sound to navigate, find food, attract mates, and avoid predators struggle with human noise pollution and find their ability to survive threatened (National Geographic, 2021).

How is Noise Measured?

Noise levels are measured in decibels. The higher the decibel level, the louder the sound. Sounds louder than 80–85 dB are considered hazardous (Daniels & Nicoll, 2011). For every 10 dB increase in sound, the human ear perceives it as twice as loud (University of Maryland, 2016).

Consider the average decibel levels for everyday sounds shown in the table below (Allaouchiche et al., 2002; Cmiel et al., 2004; Daniels & Nicoll, 2011; Robinson et al., 2005):

Guidelines for Reducing Noise and Creating Healing Environments

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a gradual, painless, permanent disorder affecting all age groups. NIHL reduces efficiency in performing daily tasks, contributes to fatigue and irritability, and contributes to communication difficulties. NIHL is appearing at younger ages than it did 30 years ago, and it affects many parts of the body other than the ears (Leibrock & Harris, 2011).

The following suggestions are ways to reduce NIHL and to create a healthy environment (Cmiel et al., 2004; Eliopoulos, 2014; Leibrock & Harris, 2011; Mazer, 2014; Neumann & Mensik, 1993; Robinson et al., 2005; Sadler et al., 2008; Stichler, 2001):

• Assess your environment. This helps determine where the sound levels are and what sounds need to be reduced.
• Install carpeting, which can reduce ambient noise by up to 70%, prevent the generation of surface noise, and reduce the levels of impact noise (such as that generated by footsteps on the floor).
• Limit exposure to noise by keeping radios, televisions, slamming doors, and even footsteps as quiet as possible.
• Speak in lowered tones.
• Use padding under noisy machines (such as keyboards, blenders, or large equipment that vibrates).
• Design home and work spaces to reduce noise. For example, long, rectangular rooms increase sound reflection while irregularly shaped recessed areas along walls and ceilings diffuse sound waves.
• Close doors to rooms when possible.
• Be a responsible consumer and look for noise ratings when purchasing products.
• Have hearing tested annually.
• Use sound-masking devices such as wind chimes, water, or music.
• Wear hearing protectors when exposed to loud noises.
• Educate family members about noise and take action before noise levels become disturbing.
• If you cannot escape noise, block out unwanted or unpleasant noise by using noise-canceling headphones, using nature sounds on your phone or listening device, or use a machine that creates white noise (which contains all frequencies and masks other sounds). Note: Music or sounds played this way should never be so loud that you cannot hear others talking around you.
• Find ways to reduce noise in your daily life. Don’t use leaf blowers (or ask gardeners to avoid them); don’t play your music outside in a way that disturbs others; make sure your automobile has a working muffler; and think about the volume of your voice when you speak.
• Support noise control efforts in your community so that wildlife and community life are enhanced.

If you would like to learn more about healing environments, check out our Certificate in Healing Environments for the Body, Mind, and Spirit.

References

Allaouchiche, B., Duflo, F., Debon, R., Bergeret, A., & Chassard, D. (2002). Noise in the postanaesthesia care unit. British Journal of Anaestheisa, 88(3), 369-373.

Bickel-Michigan, N. (2020). Noise dropped by almost 50% early in pandemic. Retrieved April 29, 2021 from https://www.futurity.org/environmental-noise-exposure-covid-19-pandemic-2453472/

Cmiel, C. A., Karr, D. M., Gasser, D. M., Oliphant, L. M, & Neveau, A. J. (2004). Noise control: A nursing team’s approach to sleep promotion. American Journal of Nursing, 104(2), 40–48.

Daniels, R., & Nicoll, L. H. (2011). Contemporary medical-surgical nursing. (2nd ed.) Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning.

Eliopoulos, C. (2014). Invitation to holistic health: A guide to living a balanced life. (3rd ed.) Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning.

Environmental Protection Agency. (2017). Clean Air Act Title IV—Noise pollution. Retrieved April 29, 2021 from https://www.epa.gov/clean-air-act-overview/clean-air-act-title-iv-noise-pollution

Juang, D. F., Lee, C. H., Yang, T., Chang, M. C. (2010). Noise pollution and its effects on medical care workers and patients in hospitals. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 7(4), 705–716.

Leibrock, C. A., & Harris, D (2011). Design details for health: Making the most of design’s healing potential. (2nd ed.) Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Luck, S., & Keegan, L. (2016). Environmental Health. In B. M. Dossey & L. Keegan, Holistic nursing: A handbook for practice (7th ed., pp. 557-588). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning.

Mazer, S. (2014). Runaway noise in the hospital. Retrieved April 29, 2021 from https://www.hhnmag.com/articles/4138-runaway-noise-in-the-hospital

National Geographic. (2021). Noise pollution. Retrieved April 29, 2021 from https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/noise-pollution/

Reiling, J. G., Knutzen, B. L., Wallen, T. K., McCullough S., Miller, R., & Chernos, S. (2004). Enhancing the traditional hospital design process: A focus on patient safety. Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Safety, 30(3), 115–124.

Robinson, S. B., Weitzel, T., & Henderson, L. (2005, November/December). The sh-h-h-h- project: Nonpharmacological interventions. Holistic Nursing Practice, 19(6), 263–266.

Sadler, B. L., DuBose, J. R., Malone, E. B., & Zimring, C. M. (2008).The business case for building better hospitals through evidence-based design. Retrieved April 29, 2021 from http://www.healthdesign.org/sites/default/files/HCLeader_1_BusCaseWP.pdf

Stichler, J. F. (2001). Creating healing environments in critical care units. Critical Care Nursing Quarterly, 24(3), 1–20.

University of Maryland. (2016). About decibels (dB). Retrieved April 29, 2021 from http://trace.umd.edu/docs/2004-About-dB

Venolia, C. (1988). Healing environments: Your guide to indoor well-being. Berkeley, CA: Celestial Arts.