Nope!  You’re not imagining it.  In many parts of the country, it really is getting noisier. The growing noise pollution stems from many different causes. Population growth and urban sprawl are both factors. Additionally, lack of proper anti-noise regulations, the use of electronics, busy airports and more vehicles on our roads (electric vehicles are quiet, but there are not yet enough of them to make an impact) all contribute to the rising decibel levels.   

It’s not just cities and it’s not just the U.S.  According to the researchers at the National Park Service’s Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division, the acoustics of the American outdoors doubles or triples every 30 years! In Europe, more than 1 in 5 people are exposed to enough road noise to hurt their health. 

Hearing loss is the most common and most direct health consequence of too much noise.  But noise pollution has been shown to affect our health in other more insidious ways as well. 

Sleep Disruptions: Noise pollution can interfere with sleep quality by preventing deep sleep stages. Chronic sleep deprivation is associated with numerous health problems, including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and even a weakened immune system, which can collectively affect lifespan. 

Stress and Anxiety: Constant noise can lead to increased stress levels, releasing hormones like cortisol. Chronic stress is a known risk factor for mental and physical health conditions, including anxiety and depression, which can have long-term implications on overall well-being and possibly life expectancy. 

Cognitive Impairments: Some studies suggest that chronic exposure to noise may impair cognitive function in children and adults. It may affect concentration, memory, and learning ability, although the direct link to lifespan is less clear. 

Birth Complications: There is evidence to suggest that noise exposure may lead to lower birth weight and premature births. These factors can have lifelong impacts on health, which may indirectly affect life expectancy. 

Occupational Hazards: In occupational settings, excessive noise can also be a sign of dangerous machinery or working conditions, leading to higher risks of accidents or exposure to other harmful substances or situations. 

Potential Link to Metabolic Issues: Some recent studies have even explored the potential links between noise and obesity or other metabolic disorders. The chronic stress and sleep disruption caused by noise could lead to changes in eating habits or metabolism. 

How Noisy Does It Have to Be to Cause Hearing Loss 

 Actually, not that noisy!  When it comes to noise, there are two factors that contribute to hearing loss:  Sound intensity and length of exposure.  Loudness, or how loud something sounds to you, is not the same as the intensity of that sound.  Two sounds that have equal intensity are not necessarily equally loud.  

Loudness refers to how you perceive audible sounds. A sound that seems loud in a quiet room might not be noticeable when you are on a street corner with heavy traffic, even though the sound intensity is the same. When the decibel level of a sound is recorded, it is measuring intensity not loudness.  In general, when the sound intensity increases by 10 decibels, it is perceived as twice as loud. 

Your chance of developing hearing loss is a function of both decibel level and length of exposure. The risk of damaging your hearing from noise increases with the sound intensity, not the loudness of the sound.   

According to the CDC, if you need to raise your voice to be heard at an arm’s length, the noise level in the environment is likely above 85 dB in sound intensity and could damage your hearing over time. 

Common Sources of Noise, Decibel Levels & Potential for Hearing Loss 

(from CDC/NIH)