Traffic Noise May Be Dangerous To Your Health

image by Oran Viriyincy on Flickr

These research findings were particularly interesting to me, in that I find traffic noise -- especially that of the subway trains I take twice daily for almost an hour a pop -- very draining and stressful!

A Danish study has concluded that being exposed to traffic noise may increase the risk of heart attack by 10 percent per 10-decibel noise increase. 57,053 Copenhagen and Aarhus residents between the ages of 50 to 64 were surveyed over a ten-year period, and researchers kept track of their exposure to car and truck traffic.

In particular, the study suggested traffic noise that happened at night, disturbing sleep, might be the most dangerous.

Anybody who commutes on the New York subway knows how ear-shatteringly loud it can be. Long-time MTA travelers can sort of "funnel it out" -- almost not pay attention to it, as if it was white noise. But I strongly feel on some level, it's extremely unhealthy to be exposed to that level of rumbling and screeching on a daily basis.

Which is why tomorrow, I'm going to start wearing noise-cancelling headphones...though I do wonder what the overall effectiveness is of that method. Isn't it like layering sound over more sound? Ear-plugs might be best!

via NYT Well