Traffic Noise Raises Blood Pressure
If you live in an area with high traffic noise you may find you have higher blood pressure and a higher risk of heart attack or stroke. Exposure to traffic noise that is above 60 decibels is associated with high blood pressure among young and middle-aged people.
Previous studies have found a connection between living near airports and high blood pressure. Constant noise may place the body in a state of chronic stress. This state of stress leads to a higher heart rate and blood pressure.
A full 28 percent of middle-aged people living in areas with noise averaging above 64 decibels reported high blood pressure. Approximately 17 percent of middle-aged adults in quieter neighborhoods suffered from hypertension.
Sixty-five decibels is slightly louder than a normal conversation.
