Photo credit: Karl Solano
by Daniel Fink, MD, Chair, The Quiet Coalition
The Quiet Coalition’s Jamie Banks, PhD, MSc, who is also founder and president of TQC’s parent organization, Quiet Communities, Inc. https://quietcommunities.org is one of the experts quoted in this article by Forbes magazine contributor Jamie Gold, who writes about wellness design and home trends. As Dr. Banks says, “[l]oud noise and even low levels of chronic noise can damage hearing [and] the damage cannot be reversed.“
Dr. Banks goes on to point out that noise has non-auditory health impacts also, saying:
The effects that are not so intuitive are those affecting our heart and circulatory system, our metabolism and endocrine system, and our mental state. For example, noise can disturb our sleep, and cause stress and annoyance. In response, the body releases stress hormones and neurotransmitters that set off a chain of events resulting in damage to the blood vessels, which in turn cause or contribute to conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and even ischemic heart disease.
Dallas-area interior designer Shelly Rosenberg also notes that noise can be especially problematic for those with autism spectrum disorders, sensory processing disorders, and military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Gold goes on to discuss specific noise problems in different rooms, e.g., kitchens and bathrooms, as well as ways to reduce the transmission of outdoor noise inside. Double-paned windows are very effective, but only as long as they are kept closed.
We are glad to see noise getting attention in a business magazine.
Quieter homes and businesses will be good for everyone.
