In many respects, the past many months have been awfully quiet. Fewer planes are flying above, fewer trucks are driving on streets, and generally, we’ve been confined to quieter, indoor activities. In fact, researchers have found that from March-May of 2020, noise generated by human activity was cut in half, considered the most sizable reduction of noise in recorded history. The question is, then, have there been any health benefits due to the quieter environment in which we’ve found ourselves? 

First, you need to understand that noise can have a profound impact on physical and cognitive well-being. For example, there is now evidence that exposure to excessive noise can increase the odds that one will develop mild cognitive impairment or even Alzheimer’s. In a study published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia, researchers from the Chicago Health and Aging Project looked at over 5000 participants to determine the impact of noise on cognition. What they found was that those persons living with 10 decibels of excess noise near their residences had 36% higher odds of developing mild cognitive impairment and 30% higher odds of developing Alzheimer’s. Estimates are that ⅓ of us are exposed to unhealthy levels of noise (a normal conversation is about 60 decibels and anything above 70 decibels is considered excessive). As a point of reference, sirens and airplanes can raise the noise level to 120 decibels or even more. This sort of noise exposure is common in urban settings and suggests noise may impact the brains of urban-dwelling older adults. If you want to find out about the sound decibels in your own location, considering trying the app from SoundPrint, which can both measure sound decibels in your environment and help you locate quiet places.

Similarly, we have data regarding the effect of excess noise on heart health. In an in-depth recent article in Knowledge Magazine, writer Cypress Hansen reviews the research connecting noise and heart health, going so far as to describe the impact of excessive noise on cardiac functioning as a “silent killer.” There apparently is a growing body of research connecting road and air noise with heightened cardiac disease. With various explanations including the stress of the noise activating the body’s “fight or flight” response system, thereby releasing hormones that constrict arteries, raise blood pressure and cause inflammation, noise can have a lasting impact on your physical health. 

So, has there been a silver lining from the pandemic due to reduced noise levels? The unfortunate answer is probably not. While there has been noticeably less noise in certain areas, the reality of the stressors of the pandemic- anxiety, grief, sleep disturbances, isolation, financial stress- have probably countered whatever benefits might have been gained from noise reduction. 

One last point regarding noise- it can obviously also have an impact on your ability to hear. In fact, noise reduction efforts can play an important role in reducing the risk of hearing loss. But for many of us, regular efforts to assess and counter our risk of hearing loss have not been kept up. According to a new survey from the National Poll on Healthy Aging, most adults over 50 have not been screened or tested for hearing loss in the past 2 years. Given that hearing loss can lead to falls, dementia, isolation, and a reduced quality of life, it would seem important that older adults regularly get their hearing tested. In this survey, only 51% of respondents rated their hearing as excellent or very good, yet only 25% of respondents had their hearing tested in the last few years. This leads to the inevitable conclusion that there are lost opportunities to improve the hearing of many older adults, either through hearing aid devices or other measures. For a newly updated review of available hearing aid devices, listen up and click here.