Ep. 185: Is Noise Bad for Your Health?
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Whether you’re working on a deadline or enjoying time with friends, city noise is jarring to the ears and even worse for concentration. A growing body of scientific evidence also suggests that high noise levels can be harmful to your health, increasing risk of hypertension, stroke and heart attacks.
Here, environmental studies researcher Dr. Tor Oiamo joins Medcan CEO Shaun Francis to explore the connection between noise and health. They explain what’s so bad about long-term noise exposure, and how you can know if you’re within safe sound limits.
LINKS
Follow Dr. Tor Oiamo on Twitter, and check out his EXPOSCEN Lab at TMU.
Read Noise Could Take Years Off Your Life in NYT.
Listen to Dr. Oiamo on CBC’s The Dose.
Check out the NIOSH sound level meter app, available for iPhones.
See some research on noise and health:
Exposure to Road Traffic Noise and Incidence of Acute Myocardial Infarction and Congestive Heart Failure: A Population-Based Cohort Study in Toronto, Canada
Living near noise pollution tied to greater risk of heart attack from the American College of Cardiology
“It takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to get back to the task after a distraction,” from this University of California Irvine study.
INSIGHTS
02:51 Who is Dr. Tor Oiamo, and why does he study noise?
04:14 Dr. Oiamo’s PhD research revealed that noise levels can even affect someone’s likelihood to exercise regularly.
06:51 What other health effects have been linked to noise exposure?
09:00 Do man-made noises affect us differently than noises heard in nature?
10:26 How does car traffic noise compare to air traffic or railway noise?
12:59 Airports are making changes to create less noise.
14:30 Research has found a confirmed link between longterm exposure to noise and increased risk of heart disease.
17:37 Who is most affected by noise?
18:28 How does noise affect concentration?
20:16 Dr. Oiamo says that noise pollution is an issue of environmental justice, not an individual’s responsibility.
24:01 If more people drove electric vehicles, would cities be less noisy?
26:19 How can noise exposure affect mental health?
27:10 Dr. Oiamo says that 90% of people in Toronto exceed noise threshold guidelines recommended by the WHO.
29:28 How much noise is too much?
31:34 You can download an app to track the noise level of your environment.
*LEGAL
This podcast episode is intended to provide general information about health and wellness only and is not designed, or intended to constitute, or be used as a substitute for, medical advice, treatment or diagnosis. You should always talk to your Medcan health care provider for individual medical advice, diagnosis and treatment, including your specific health and wellness needs.
The podcast is based on the information available at the time of preparation and is only accurate and current as of that date. Source information and recommendations are subject to change based on scientific evidence as it evolves over time. Medcan is not responsible for future changes or updates to the information and recommendations, and assumes no obligation to update based on future developments.
Reference to, or mention of, specific treatments or therapies, does not constitute or imply a recommendation or endorsement. The links provided within the associated document are to assist the reader with the specific information highlighted. Any third-party links are not endorsed by Medcan.