Photo credit: Pete G licensed under CC BY 2.0
by Daniel Fink, MD, Chair, The Quiet Coalition
Most people, including most doctors, don’t know that noise causes both hearing damage–hearing loss, tinnitus and hyperacusis–as well as a whole host of non-auditory health problems, including hypertension, diabetes, obesity, heart attack, stroke, and death.
These non-auditory health effects are discussed in this article that reviews the current literature.
The European Union understands the dangers that noise exposure poses, and it is taking steps to protect the public via the Environmental Noise Directive.
If enough Americans make sure their elected representatives know that they are worried about how noise affects us, maybe the U.S. will become quieter and healthier, too.
